Mega Man Iris 2: The Saga Continues
by ker-plop
Summary: Iris, X, Zero and their friends pursue an old enemy and his shady dealings. THIS STORY IS BEING COMPLETELY REWRITTEN! Last Chapter Added: 11
1. Unearthed

MEGA MAN IRIS II

**THE SAGA CONTINUES**

**Written by ker-plop**

_In the year 22XX..._

_It has been two weeks since the defeat of greedy businessman Ivan Ribosome IV, and things have calmed down a bit._

_Ribosome's plans may have been crushed, but Iris Thorne and her friends, both old and new, still have to adjust to their new lives as museum-dwelling Maverick Hunters._

_Lead by information gained by Professor Smith, Iris and her friends have located a rare group of fossils out in Death Valley. There they hope to fulfill their museum obligations by excavating and obtaining the bones._

_Little do they know that the REAL war is just about to begin..._

**CHAPTER 1**

**UNEARTHED**

From its place in the perpetual blue sky, the sun mercilessly beat down on the forsaken Death Valley. Sweating, tired workers hiked in and out of a blindingly white tent, grabbing digging tools or bringing in intriguing slabs of earth.

Inside the enclosure, Professor Ross Smith studied the dirt samples intently, sweating from excitement as well as heat. "Amazing..." he whispered as he looked over the readouts his spectrograph was producing. "What's this?! Hey, Snake Man!"

A Reploid wearing a labcoat and a green snake-shaped helmet and carrying a shovel walked into the tent. He was also sweating and covered with dirt. "Yes, Professor?" he asked. "Have you found what you're looking for?"

"Not exactly," Smith said as he pulled out a map of the dig site. "Where was this sample found?"

"I think Hobson and Michaelov got that piece from location 3-V," Snake Man said as he pointed at the map. "Would you like us to excavate further?"

"Yes," Smith answered. "Also, work on the surrounding areas."

"Do you think we're close to finding those mesozoic plant fossils?" Snake Man asked.

"No idea," Smith replied. "But this could be something big... Tell the Maverick Hunters to get here, quickly!"

"All right," Snake Man answered. "...If I can find them, anyway."

"What do you mean?" Smith asked. "Geez, have they run off again?!"

"Zero and X are digging in locations 4-G and 7-T, respectively," Snake Man reported. "I have no idea where the others are, though..."

"Jeez!" Smith snorted. "Don't they realize this is part of their job? If they slack off any more, Peabody will sack them for sure!..."

* * *

On the far side of the dig, three characters sat around a big rock, trying desperately to get some shade. "Ohhh..." Darren Lucas, a friendly technician with a backwards baseball cap, groaned as he took another swig from his water canteen. "I can't take this anymore!"

"Amen," the red-armored Reploid girl called Sharon Doherty muttered as she tried to fan herself quickly enough to get a decent breeze. "I'm a fire-type Reploid and this is too hot for even me."

"Well, we are helping Professor Smith with his job," Iris Thorne, a short girl Reploid with dark, brown hair pointed out as she pulled off her red beret and mopped her brow. "It's the least we can do. Besides, I think it's nice that we're doing some normal work for a change..."

Darren nodded in agreement; Iris and her friends had just survived a dangerous ordeal against the tyrannical Dr. Ivan Ribosome when he'd tried to capture Iris for still unknown reasons. Iris had defeated the merciless businessman and saved her friends from him, but nobody knew what had become of him.

"Well, that's a good thing, I guess..." Sharon grunted as she fanned even harder. "But I'm gettin' restless."

"Hey, be lucky we're this bored," Darren pointed out. "You wouldn't want a scorpion to come crawling into your pants, would you?"

"No scorpions live out here!" Sharon retorted. "They all got too bored!" She huffed and sat back down on the rock. "I sure wish something would happen."

While Sharon and Darren argued, Iris turned and stared out over the lifeless plain. Suddenly, something caught her eye; a group of people were coming towards her. As Iris squinted, a whirring object grazed her head, and a gold-plated shuriken embedded itself in the rock. A few strands of her hair fluttered to the dirt. "Be careful what you wish for..." she gulped as she stood up nervously.

Everyone turned and looked; the dark shapes on the horizon were getting closer even faster, and then a throng of thug Reploids came into view, riding "Ride Chaser" hovercycles, laughing maliciously and shooting off firearms in every which way.

"Whaaaagh!!!" Darren cried out. "Who are those guys?!"

"Darren, get back to camp and sound the alarm!" Iris ordered as she drew her purple beam sword, the I-Saber. "Sharon, I'll keep them busy while you go get X and Zero!"

Sharon and Darren dashed off in different directions as the bikers surrounded Iris and drove around her, laughing and making sick gestures. Iris set her jaw and gripped her I-Saber. "So, what are you guys up to?" she asked. "You're a long way from Sturgis..."

"Heh heh heh... We've got a smart one, here!" one of the bikers laughed. He wore yellow armor, magenta sunglasses and seemed to have lavender goo flowing through his joints. "You must be Iris! I'm Double, leader of the Biker Bladers gang!"

"Yes, I am," Iris retorted. "We've got an archaeological dig going on here, so would you all mind riding elsewhere?"

"Well, ain't that a coincidence?!" Double sneered. "We're here for a dig, too! Just so happens, though, that you're diggin' in our spot! So..." He turned around and motioned to his gang. "Rough 'em up, boys!!!" he yelled.

With excited war-whoops, the bikers tore past Iris and straight for the encampment, firing at whatever was moving. The diggers panicked and tried to flee, but the bikers were too fast for them.

"What are you doing?!" Iris cried as she watched. "Y-you guys are Mavericks!!!"

"An' proud of it!" Double laughed. "So, it looks like it's just you an' me now, dollface! I-"

Iris had turned and started running back to the dig, her I-Saber raised and her arm plasma cannon out and firing. "Hey!!!" Double yelled. "I wasn't done talkin'!!!"

* * *

"Oh, crap!" Darren gulped as he looked out of the tent. "Those bikers are coming right this way!"

"We'd better prepare for the worst," Smith said as he grabbed a box, pulled out several gray tunics and threw them at Darren. "Give these to all the diggers!" he ordered. "They're Shield Vests Professor Olson invented; they'll protect humans from Reploid weapons!"

Darren quickly slipped one on and rushed out of the tent. Smith slipped one on and turned to Snake Man. "Help me get this stuff to a safe place!" he said.

* * *

"Hey, Zero," kind, blue-armored Mega Man X asked as he set his pickaxe down and wiped his brow. "Have you found any fossils yet?"

"Not since the last time you asked," collected, red-armored Zero replied as he cleaved some rocks into bits with his green-beamed Z-Saber. "These plants are hard to come by, apparently..."

X smiled at his friend's method of excavation; Zero was a Maverick Hunter through and through, and he treated digging up fossils just as seriously as taking down an onslaught of bloodthirsty robots. "Never thought we'd be doing this for a living, huh?" he asked.

"Iris had the heart to find me," Zero answered. "I'll repay that in any way I can."

X nodded; he knew as well as anybody that Zero and Iris had deep feelings for each other. Zero was cold to most people, but he always opened up to her. In gratitude for finding and reactivating them, X and Zero had stayed on to work at the Science Museum Of Minnesota, where Iris and her new friends were employed. Even though X was a tour guide and Zero a security guard, they had been chosen to help with the Death Valley excavation because of their well-proven Maverick Hunter abilities.

"Still..." Zero continued, breaking X's recollections. "I wouldn't mind a more exciting line of work..."

Almost as soon as Zero had said this, a roaring motorcycle vaulted overhead, its driver laughing and firing plasma shots every which way. Then another came over, and another.

"What the...?!" X asked.

"Trouble," Zero replied as he turned his Z-Saber to the enemies.

Another biker started over the gorge, but he never made it to the other side. He separated into two parts and exploded, and X and Zero leaped out onto the sands. The other bikers swerved around and charged, but Zero's swordsmanship and X's gun skills took care of them quick.

"Something's up..." X said as he looked around. "Why would bikers attack a dig?"

"Hey!!! X!!! Zero!!!" Sharon shouted as she ran in from nearby. "The dig's under attack by some-" She stopped and glanced down at the smoldering shrapnel surrounding the pair. "...Oh. Uh... I guess you know already."

"Is everyone safe? Where's Iris?" Zero asked quickly.

"That way!" Sharon said as she pointed towards another swarm of bikers. "We'd better help her!"

"No kidding!" X said as he started towards the 20-something thugs racing for them. "What are they after?!"

* * *

Iris ran as fast as she could, but she couldn't catch up to the biker goons. "Hey, stop!" she shouted as she fired several shots from her I-Buster, but they missed completely.

One of the bikers looked back and saw the girl feverishly running after them. He decided that it would be fun to scare her, so with a cruel grin, he whirled his hovercycle around and barrelled straight for her.

Iris yelped and rolled away as the biker tore past her. Buzzing her wasn't satisfying for him, though; he now figured it would be just as fun to put her out of her misery entirely, so he swiveled again and flew back at Iris.

"Not this time!" Iris yelled as she leaped up at the hovercycle and swung her I-Saber. The biker gurgled as the blade cut through his chest, tumbled onto the fast-moving ground and rolled off into the distance.

Iris wriggled her way into the seat, grabbed the controls and sped off towards the other goons with her I-Buster ready.

"Hey, where did Skunk go?" one of the bikers asked his posse.

"He's just doggin'," another one grunted. "He's right behind us, see?"

The first biker turned around. Skunk's hovercycle was quickly approaching, but the rider certainly didn't look like him...

"Hey, dudes, that's not-" the biker started to say when his cycle took a powerful purple blast. He spun out of control, smashed into a mountainside and exploded.

"The little rat got Butch!!!" another biker yelled. "Get 'er!!!"

The bikers circled around to face Iris, but she sped right into the middle of them with her I-Buster firing. Biker after biker tumbled to the ground, their cycles blindly smashing into anything they came across. Shrapnel and wires flew every which way as Iris finished off the last of the thugs. Relieved sweat gleamed on her face as she rode around, searching for any stragglers. Her eye caught one lone biker still going towards the dig. Immediately she gunned her engine and rode towards him.

Suddenly, three more gold-plated shuriken buried themselves in the side of Iris's hovercycle. She looked and saw Double riding right next to her. "Didja forget about me, baby?!" he laughed as he rammed her. "I'm gonna grind you into the dirt!!!"

Iris frowned and returned the ram. "Leave us alone!" she shouted. "What do you want?!"

"Ain't 'bout what I want!" Double snorted as he produced a purple-glowing dagger and swung at her.

Iris dodged the slash and countered with one of her own. Double deflected the I-Saber's blade and swung again, catching her on the chin with his wrist. Iris grunted in pain, but stayed on the cycle.

The two combatants exchanged blows with neither side getting the upper hand. Finally Iris swung her sword at Double's face and he instinctively slapped it downwards... right into his cycle's control panel. Sparks flew and smoke poured out of the sides, and the machine swerved violently out of control.

"Shit! My hog!!!" Double swore and quickly slammed into Iris's hovercycle. The bikes hooked onto each other and became jammed together just as they veered right towards a steep cliffside.

"Nice work," Double snarled. "You're gonna bite it now!!!"

Struggling to stay on the bikes, Iris and Double exchanged sword blows as the mountain loomed dangerously closer.

"This bike's gonna be yer coffin, babe!!!" Double yelled as he caught Iris on a headlock and brought his sword up. Iris gasped for air and braced herself.

Suddenly, a burst of blue plasma collided with Double's sword, shattering it into violet fragments. "Whaaaa?!" he yelled, looking around angrily.

Iris saw her opening and took it. "HYOURETSUZAN!!!" she yelled as she plunged her I-Saber, now swirling with cold mists, into Double's leg. The yellow-armored crook screamed as his entire leg became a block of ice stuck to the cycle. Iris wrenched free of his grip and jumped away. Tumbling through the air, she watched the two cycles crash into the mountain and envelope it in a giant fireball.

A moment after the explosion, Iris landed on two rough things; she looked up to see Zero's face staring down at her. "Are you all right?" he asked with a touch of concern.

"I'm OK," Iris answered as Zero carefully set her down. "But we have to get back to the dig! There's one more!"

"What are they after?..." X, who had fired the shot that broke Double's sword, asked.

"Dunno, but we'd better get back!" Sharon replied as everyone ran back for the dig site.

* * *

"Here, put this on!" Darren shouted at a digger as he shoved the last Shield Vest at him. He looked around and sighed with relief; everyone was protected from the Maverick onslaught.

"Whew... It looks like Iris got all the Mavericks..." Darren said, glancing across the desert. "That's good... The workers are safe."

"Think again, scarecrow!" a gruff voice snorted. Darren whipped around to see the last thug, sitting on his hovercycle, his arm outfitted with a silver plasma cannon, aiming straight at him.

"Uh-oh..." Darren gulped. He tried to run, but stumbled over his own feet and crashed into the dirt.

"Heh heh heh heh!" the goon chuckled as he adjusted his gun. "When ya get to Hell, tell 'em Booster sent ya!"

Booster fired straight into Darren's back; the feeble human spun into the air and crashed down a few feet away.

Booster chuckled and turned to remount when a blue burst destroyed his hovercycle. "Aaaagh!!! Hey, what the?!" he snarled as he whipped around and Sharon sent a fierce kick into his jaw. He staggered backwards and angrily raised his gun, but a red flash flew by, knocked it from his hands and hit him in the back of his legs, sending him to the ground. Finally, a purple beam appeared under his chin. He looked up nervously and eyed his four assailants.

"I'd stay right there if I were you," Iris said quietly. X and Zero had their weapons trained on Booster as well. Sharon was behind them, helping Darren sit up.

"G'huh?!" Booster gulped as he saw Darren open his eyes. "B-b-but I got you right in the back!!!"

"Yeah, you did," Darren chuckled as he brushed himself off and patted his gray armor. "The crashdown hurt, but I'm OK... These Shield Vests are awesome!"

"Be glad of that," X said as he grabbed Booster's arms and put them behind his back. "Murder isn't something you want on your record..."

"Iris!" Professor Smith shouted as Snake Man and he appeared on the scene. "What's happened?"

"We stopped the bikers, professor," Zero said, motioning to Booster. "This is the only one left."

"Good work, everyone," Smith answered as he turned to the goon. "But why did you want to attack the dig?"

"Hah!" Booster spat. "If yer gonna lock me up, I don't see why I should cooperate."

"You little rat!" Sharon growled as she cracked her knuckles. "You're gonna talk, or-"

"Sharon, wait," Iris said as she lowered her sword and looked at Booster. "Listen, if you tell us what you know, we'll put in a good word for you. Please?"

Booster muttered something under his breath, then studied Iris over his shades. "You ain't talkin' bull, are ya? OK, then... I don't know much; we was hired to mess this place up. Don't know who hired us... Boss Man Double handled the details, an' you iced 'im already..."

"Well, what do you know?" Zero asked, folding his arms and glaring at the biker.

"Boss told us to rough up the diggers an' see if they've found some kinda energy..." Booster said. "...Said if we got our hands on it, we'd get enough dough for brand new Ride Chasers! You know how expensive those are..."

"Yeah..." Sharon replied. "I've always wanted one of those..."

"We're just freelance hellraisers," Booster finished. "We don't ask questions as long as there's cash."

"Energy?..." Smith asked as he scratched his chin. "What do you suppose..."

"Anything else?" Iris asked. "Think hard, now."

"Oh, yeah..." Booster replied with a shake of his head. "Double also said that there was an extra 10 grand for whomever iced Iris Thorne. That's all I know, honest!"

"...All right, that's enough," Iris replied with a concerned frown. "X, could you take him to the sheriff? Remember to say he cooperated."

"You bet," X replied. In a flash, Booster and he were gone. Iris sat down on a nearby rock and folded her arms.

"Well, this is a real mess..." Zero said, shaking his head.

"Whoever hired them must not like Iris very much," Snake Man pointed out. "You don't think..."

"I'll bet that Ribosome had something to do with this," Sharon growled. "Oooh, I hate that guy!!!"

"All this fuss has scared the workers..." Smith noted as he glanced around at nervous-looking diggers who had come to see their attacker be sentenced. "I think I'd better suspend the dig..."

"Good idea," Darren replied as he stood up and dusted his legs off. "This heat is killing me!"

Iris looked up; something at Darren's feet glistened in the sunlight. "Hey, what's this?..." she asked, running over and kneeling in front of it.

"Uh, Iris, what're you doing?" Darren asked as he backed away from the awkward position. Zero glared.

Iris pushed some dirt away from the gleaning object and it emerged even more; it was a spherical container of some sort. "Help me dig this up!" she called.

Darren knelt down and started pulling dirt away as well. Snake Man and Sharon also joined in. After some forty-five seconds of digging, they unearthed the object; it was a transparent sphere, glowing with a faint, violet light.

"What IS this?!..." Iris asked as she picked the sphere up.

Smith ran a handheld spectrograph over the object and his eyes lit up. "This thing is giving off the same reading as the dirt samples!" he announced. "Amazing!"

"Let's get it back to the museum to analyze it," Snake Man said as he pulled out a bag. "Could you put it in here, Iris?"

Darren looked at the sphere, but then something else caught his eye. He walked over and picked up the weapon that Booster had dropped. He scratched his chin and pondered.

Zero stared hard at the sphere and small beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He said nothing, but something about the thing bothered him. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about it that troubled him... Something about it felt evil.

* * *

Circuits whirred and monitors flashed to life as Professor Smith reactivated his laboratory beneath the Science Museum Of Minnesota in the heart of downtown Saint Paul. "Let's see what this is all about..." he said as screens' lights bounced off of his glasses, effectively hiding his eyes.

The Maverick Hunters and the professor approached the museum's newest acquisition: the iMarc supercomputer. Due to a surplus of donations that year, curator Peabody had purchased it to maintain the museum's systems more efficiently than before. Smith used it for all sorts of tasks, including record keeping, analysis and a few other things.

"Amazing how Peabody lets you use this so freely, considering he hates yer guts," Sharon chuckled.

The unshaven professor set the violet sphere down and hit some buttons. "I'm going to run a closer analysis of this," he said as he typed. "Maybe someone's uncovered this sort of thing before... But first, I'm going to check on our supercomputer's tenant."

"Tenant?" Darren asked. "Someone lives in the computer?"

"Sort of," Smith said as he hit another button. "Good afternoon, Colonel! How are you today?"

"Colonel?..." Iris gasped. "Professor, what do you...?"

The screen's hue darkened to a thick gray. Without a sound, two glowing, white triangles appeared on the screen, their light glistening coldly on everyone. "Who calls...?" a deep, rigid voice boomed from the side speakers.

"It's me, Colonel; Professor Smith. We talked before, remember?" Smith asked.

"Ah, yes..." the voice said. "We did, didn't we..."

"Colonel?!..." Zero asked in a voice no louder than a whisper. "But..."

"B-brother?..." Iris asked the glowing eyes, her heart ready to leap into her throat. "Is that really you?!..."

The eyes regarded Iris for a moment. "...Iris..." the voice said. "So, the professor was truthful... You are alive... It is good to see you again..."

"Brother!..." Iris repeated as her eyes spilled over.

"How did you do this, professor?" X asked as he turned from the eyes.

"Dr. Donnerstag gave us Colonel's control chip when we visited Russia," Smith explained. "I wanted to revive him, but seeing as how his original body was destroyed..." He shot a sad glance at Iris, who still stared at the screen, before he continued. "I called a friend who knows about AI programming, and she talked me through inserting him into the iMarc."

"Wow! Isn't this great, Iris?" Darren asked. "You've got your brother back!"

"Yes, but..." Iris said as she reached out and touched the cold, rigid screen. She turned and gave Smith a half-confused, half-angry look. "Why didn't you tell me about this?!" she demanded.

Smith scratched his head. "I'm sorry, Iris," he apologized. "I only completed the installation yesterday, and it was supposed to be a surprise..."

Iris took a shuddering breath. "Professor, I appreciate the thought... but reactivating my brother like this is awful! He has no body! He can't move or do anything at all! He's totally trapped... Do you do this to humans when their bodies are broken?! No one wants to hear their loved ones will only live on as a box!!!" Iris's eyes were dribbling with tears now as her whole body trembled. "How could you?! You're as bad as Ribosome!!!"

Smith's eyes widened in shock and hurt.

"Iris!!!" Sharon exclaimed; Iris's change of attitude had even surprised her. "You take that back right now!!!"

"Enough!!!" Colonel boomed, effectively ending the argument. The eyes fixed on Iris again, who had turned back to the screen. "Do not be angry with your savior, sister," he said.

"But brother..." Iris started.

"The Professor promised that as soon as he finds a way to give me corporeal form, he will do so," Colonel said. "Seeing that he was not lying when he told me that you were alive, I trust his words. In the meantime... Seeing that you are well is all that I need."

"Brother..." Iris whispered softly, putting her hand on the screen again.

"It's all right," Colonel replied, his voice carrying a strange twinge of warmth.

Iris turned and looked back at Smith, who looked away sadly. "I'm so sorry, Professor..." Iris apologized. "I didn't mean to..."

"It's cool..." Smith replied. "I should have known you'd get upset. I know I would be..."

"Um... Colonel, we have a very strange energy source that we'd like to analyze," Snake Man said, motioning at the sphere. "Could we use the computer for a moment, please?"

"Certainly," Colonel replied. "I shall speak with you again soon, Iris..."

The eyes faded and the screen returned to normal. Iris stepped back and stared at the ground, and both Darren and Zero instinctively put protective hands on her shoulders. Zero shot another glare at the human, but he didn't notice.

"OK, let's see what this thing is!" Smith said, resuming his cheery manner and pushed the sphere under a large scanning capsule and hit more buttons. The sphere was enveloped in several bright, colorful lights and the computer whirred excitedly. The screen lit up with two documents: one gave the energy's statistics and the other was a block of paragraphs, most likely from a scientific journal.

Smith looked up at the readout and his eyebrows lifted. "Amazing..." he said, glancing back at the sphere. Iris and the others looked at the stats, then over at the text. It read as follows:

**"EVIL ENERGY"**

This unconventional, alien energy source feeds off electronic waves that human brains give off when they think negative or violent thoughts and reproduces at variable speeds; the stronger the negative thoughts, the faster the energy reproduces. Mechanical beings' strength increases horrendously when injected with the compound. The only thing that can neutralize this energy is an equal or greater amount of "Good Energy" (see definition).

-Dr. Thomas R. Light, 20XX

**ADDENDUM: **This energy is suspect in being a key ingredient in the highly infectious Maverick Virus created by Dr. Albert R. Wily, who first came in contact with it in 20XX. Contact with it is highly unadvisable.

-Dr. Mephistopheles Ribosome, 21XX

"Well, whaddya know!" Sharon snorted, cocking her head to the side. "Ribosome again!"

"So, that's what this is..." X said, glancing at the sphere. "I've read about this stuff, but I never thought I'd see it... I bet this is what the bikers were looking for."

"This must be why I'm so uneasy..." Zero growled as his eyes fixed on Wily's name and his teeth clenched. "This stuff is what I was made from..."

"Zero..." Iris said quietly.

"This is starting to come together..." Darren said as he started counting on his fingers. "We get attacked by goons who were hired to look for this energy, and their funder wanted Iris dead..."

"I'll bet dollars to donuts it was Ribosome!" Sharon announced immediately.

"Perhaps, but we can't jump to conclusions," X reminded. "The obvious suspect isn't always the criminal."

"...But Sigma was behind everything you ever faced," Snake Man pointed out.

X scratched his head crossly. "You're not helping, Snake Man," he grumbled.

"Well, I still say Ribosome's behind it!" Sharon grunted. "Let's get to his fancy-pants office headquarters and take him down!"

"Whatever happened to 'innocent until proven guilty?'" Smith asked crossly.

"We KNOW he's guilty!" Sharon yelled. "What more do we need?!"

"Proof, maybe?" Zero asked coldly. "Rushing off on a hunch is rarely good."

Sharon opened her mouth to object when the computer screen fizzled and went black. "Hey, what the?!" X asked, looking up suddenly.

"Hey! Did someone break it?!" Darren gulped as he ran to the machine and tried hitting random buttons, with no result.

"Oh, no..." Iris gulped as she rushed to the screen. "Brother! Are you all right? Speak to me!!!"

Suddenly, the screen lit up again. This time, though, a Reploid appeared. He had purple armor and blood-red bug eyes, and he stared out at the Maverick Hunters with a sneer on his lips. "Good day to you, noveau-Maverick Hunters!" he chuckled in a fluttery, high voice. "I just called to congratulate you on your victory over my hired hands! I see you have the Evil Energy I requested of them!"

"Who are you?" Snake Man asked.

"I know who he is..." X growled. "That's Agile, one of the X-Hunters..."

"X-Hunters?" Sharon asked. "Who're they?"

"Oh, let's save the history lesson for later, all right, old friend?" Agile giggled. He turned and looked straight at Iris. "I've heard of your skills, dear girl. Your victory over Dr. Ribosome was most impressive! You have my utmost respect."

"So that's why you tried to kill her?" Zero growled. "You're nothing but a coward."

Iris frowned into Agile's reflective eyes. "What do you want?" she asked.

"Why, what's mine, of course!" Agile replied with a carefree wave of his hand. "You took the Evil Energy I was after, and I want it back."

"No deal," Smith replied as he clutched the orb. "This stuff's too dangerous to hand over to a lunatic."

"A lunatic?!" Agile laughed. "Oh, dear, dear professor, I'm so hurt! See, I'm just doing a little experiment, and I need that energy... I promise you'll marvel at the results!"

"Sorry, Agile," Iris stated. "We won't give you anything."

"Oh, pooh," Agile mock-groused. "Ah, well. I can get back to that energy later! You see, I need more things than just that particular energy... Many more, actually! So, I'll send my other men out to collect the other ingredients while you think over my request. You're welcome to try and stop me! Just remember... If you don't stop me, well, I'll certainly stop you!!!" He laughed giddily, and the monitor shut off. The silence was deafening.

"Well..." Sharon said, scratched her head embarrassedly. "I guess it really WASN'T Ribosome..."

The monitor reactivated and showed a map of Earth. Red dots appeared at two locations: one was in the center of the Gobi Desert, and the other was directly on the North Pole. "Satellite data says that Mavericks are appearing at those areas!" Smith gulped as he checked the readouts.

"What do we do now?" Snake Man asked as he glanced over at the sphere. "This Agile guy means business..."

Everyone looked over at Iris, who was looking up at the map with folded arms and a hurt look. "Iris..." Zero said.

"It's your call, Iris," Darren said. "He's after you... What should we do?"

Iris gave a sad sigh; she really didn't want to fight any more people, but just like they did with X and Zero, the powers that were seemed to be forcing her hand. "If we don't stop Agile's men, innocents will be hurt," she said as she slowly turned around and unsheathed her I-Saber.

"You mean..." Sharon said with a crafty grin.

"Let's go," Iris said, nodding at Sharon's guess.

"All right!" Darren cheered. "That's the Iris I know! Let's go stop those nutjobs!!"

"There are six of us, and two targets..." X thought out loud. "We can tackle both at once if we split into teams of three."

"All right," Iris answered. "I'll take Darren and Snake Man to the desert and check things out."

Zero frowned again; Iris's team selection was... disappointing, to say the least. "I suppose X, Sharon and I will go to the North Pole," he said calmly.

"Hey, what about me?!" Smith asked crossly. "Don't I get to come?"

"Professor, you could monitor our progress and talk with us over the transmitter," Darren said. "You'd be very helpful, and it'd almost be like being with both groups at once!"

Smith winced at his sudden "demotion," but nodded. "All right..." he muttered. "Now, into the teleporter with all of you! We've got a crazy man to stop!"

The six Maverick Hunters ran off for another room as Smith sat down at the computer and donned a radio headset. "I just wish we knew what he was actually after..." he mumbled.


	2. A Savage In The Sands

**CHAPTER 2**

**A SAVAGE IN THE SANDS**

"The Gobi, huh?" Snake Man asked as the Maverick Hunters stepped into the teleporter one by one and vanished for their respective locations. "I wonder what could be out there?"

"We'll just have to wait and see," Iris replied. "Darren, is there anything important out in the Gobi Desert?"

She waited for an answer, but Darren didn't give one. "...Darren?" she asked again.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Iris, I wasn't listening," Darren said as he looked up from the object that he was tinkering with; the silver cannon he had obtained from the Death Valley biker scuffle.

"What are you doing with that, anyway?" Snake Man asked.

"Well, I'm already protected with my Shield Vest," Darren said, patting his chest. "I thought that maybe if I work this gun into a useable weapon, I could be more helpful to you guys."

"That's great!" Iris responded. "Having another pair of hands is a good idea."

"Well, just one, really," Darren chuckled. "Ah! Finished!" He slid the silver arm cannon over his right arm and held it up. "What do you guys think?" he asked.

"Looks good on you," Snake Man answered. "Silver's a nice color."

Iris was about to agree when Zero came up behind her. "Iris, I'm heading off now," he said. "Take care in the desert."

"OK, Zero," Iris replied with a smile. "I'll be just fine. You take care, too!"

Zero nodded quietly, then turned and walked into the teleporter. There was bright flash, and he was gone.

"Zero's so cool," Darren said to Iris. "It's nice how he's always looking out for you!"

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?..." Iris said with a quiet grin. "OK, we've stood here long enough. Let's get going."

One by one, the three friends vanished into the transporter and reappeared on a dune overlooking the vast Asian expanse known as the Gobi Desert. Harsh, chilly winds blew at the constantly shifting sands under a sickly violet sky.

"Woah..." Iris noted as she looked around. "This place looks kinda creepy!..."

"Not all of the planet has been repaired from the Eurasia crash," Darren pointed out. "The Gobi is one of the worst-polluted spots, and for good reason."

"What would that be?" Snake Man asked.

"Well..." Darren said as he scanned the horizon and pointed at something. "That would be why."

Iris and Snake Man looked and gasped. Lying out in the desert were the shattered remnants of the space object that had wrecked the planet in the first place: the Eurasia Colony.

Suddenly, Iris's arm made a staticy sound. She lifted it and a small monitor popped out near her hand. Professor Smith's shaggy face slowly came into view. "Iris, can you read me? Over!" he said.

"I'm getting you loud and clear, Professor!" Iris answered.

"Hey, when did you get that communicator?!" Darren asked.

"The Professor gave it to me before we left," Iris replied. "I don't wear a helmet like X or Zero, so he installed one in my arm pad..."

"Well, I'm guessing you guys figured out where you are," Smith said. "This is where Eurasia crashed down after Zero disabled it."

"Nobody's bothered to come out and clean up, so the Gobi's been like this for a century," Darren added.

"Hmm... If that's the case, then I'd bet that Agile sent his Maverick to the colony," Iris said, scratching her chin. "If nobody's been out here, then everything that was on the colony must still be inside."

"It's chock full of gizmos and tech stuff," Smith warned. "Agile must want something from inside. You'd better get there, quick!"

"Get there?" Snake Man asked as he peered at the far-off wreck. "But you dropped us all the way over here! Why didn't you just teleport us in?"

"I couldn't," Smith answered. "There's some sort of energy signature that messes with the instruments..."

"Energy signature?..." Darren asked.

"It's quite a walk; let's get moving..." Iris replied as she slid down the dune and started hiking towards the wreckage.

* * *

Though the purple sky and the deathly silence was unnerving for the Maverick Hunters, the hike was uneventful. Still, as time passed and they seemed the colony didn't get closer, they began to tire. The chilly winds cut into them like knives.

"Ugh..." Darren groaned, hugging himself for warmth. "This is brutal... I-WHOOP!" He stumbled over a rock and fell on his face.

"The energy that stopped the professor from sending us right in must be really strong," Snake Man said as he helped Darren back onto his feet.

"How can it be so cold?..." Darren asked. "This is a desert, for crying out loud..."

"The Gobi's always been a cold desert, like the ones in Antarctica..." Snake Man replied. "It must have to do with its location..."

Iris sighed heavily as another cold wind blew; she was beginning to regret not asking Professor Smith for a pair of pants. "I know it sounds corny," she said as she turned to her friends. "But maybe we should do something to pass the time?"

"Like what?" Darren asked. "I didn't bring my poker cards..."

"How about we talk?" Iris asked. "Talking helps a lot."

"...Fair enough," Snake Man agreed as they walked. "What should we discuss?"

"Maybe how the desert can play tricks on you..." Darren suggested as he looked around. "It IS pretty cold... When people wander around out here for this long, they start seeing mirages..."

"Mirages?" Iris asked.

"You know, mirages," Snake Man elaborated. "The cold gets to your brain, and you start seeing things that aren't really there: people you know, objects you want, or things like that... It's usually the beginning of going delirious..."

"Ah, yes," Iris murmured as she looked around. "I guess we should keep our wits about us, then..."

The party walked on with no end to the cold. The Eurasia colony never seemed to get closer.

After half an hour more of walking, the threesome dropped to their knees in the sands. "Ohhh, I can't go any further..." Iris groaned, pulling her hat down over her ears. "I'm frozen solid!"

"We can't stop now," Snake Man said, trying to remotivate his friends. "Whatever Agile's after, we have to get to it first!"

"Hard to get there when you can barely move..." Darren panted. "I shoulda brought a jacket..."

"I wish Zero were here..." Iris said. "He wouldn't get tired..."

Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something red. She turned to the right and saw Zero standing nearby. "Z... Zero?!" she asked.

"Huh?" Darren asked, looking up. "Zero's here?"

Snake Man looked where Iris was looking; there was nothing there. "I don't see him..." he said. "It must be a..."

Iris staggered to her feet and broke into a sprint. "Zero!!!" she cried happily.

"Wait, Iris!" Darren yelled.

"It's a mirage!" Snake Man cried.

"Zero! You came! I'm so-" Iris cheered as she ran. As she reached where he was, however, she found nothing. She stood there staring at the spot, a puzzled look on her face.

"...See? Mirages," Snake Man replied as Darren and he came up behind her. "Let's keep moving, OK?"

Iris gave a groan, but nodded.

The three Hunters walked on for another half hour, with the scenery unchanging and the cold relentless. The colony never moved closer, as if it were taunting their efforts.

"Ohhh..." Iris groaned again. "What kind of energy would make us have to walk this far?..."

"Hmm..." Snake Man said. Just then, he saw something in the distance; it looked like a tent of some kind. "Hey, guys!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Look! Someone else is out here! We're saved!"

"Yeah, right..." Darren said as he looked at the tent. "It's just another mirage."

"No, seriously!" Snake Man said as he ran towards the tent. Iris and Darren skeptically followed him.

They passed over another dune and looked down on the tent; a big, black-bearded gentleman was working at a portable table with his back turned to them, and a big, durable-looking buggy was parked nearby.

"Yes! Let's ask that guy if we can borrow his buggy to reach the colony!" Iris said happily.

"No way, man," Darren grunted. "I'm sure this is a mirage! I'll prove it!"

"How?" Snake Man asked.

Darren got up and started down the dune. "Wait, what's he gonna do?" Iris asked.

"No idea, but it can't be good..." Snake Man said nervously. "Darren! Don't do anything stupid!"

Darren edged up close to the bearded man, who hadn't moved from his spot. In one swift motion, Darren kicked at the man as hard as he could.

Darren's kick sent the man toppling over onto his desk with a loud yell, and the desk shattered to splinters, sending little machine parts every which way. After a few moments of shock, he reared up and leered at Darren. "_Du kleiner Schwein!!!_" he swore. "_Warum hast du das getan?!"_

"Aha!" Snake Man cried triumphantly. "I knew it wasn't a mirage!"

"Wait," Iris said as she looked at the man. "That guy looks familiar... and sounds it, too!"

"Eh heh heh..." Darren chuckled embarrassedly as the angry man loomed over him. "Sorry, sir; see, my friend thought you were a mirage, and..."

"Doctor Donnerstag!" Iris cried as Snake Man and she climbed down the dune.

The man stopped glaring at Darren and turned to the approaching Reploids. Instantly his eyes lit up. "_Ach du Lieber!_ Iris! Oh, it is good to see you again!"

Iris shook hands with the doctor and smiled. "Hey, doctor, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I could ask you the very same thing," Donnerstag replied. Just then, another cold gust blew over the group, sending everyone into shivers. "_Ach, aber mir ist so kalt... _Too cold out here to talk! _Kommt Ihr herein_ and we'll talk, _ja?_"

He lifted the tent flap and the four of them went in. For a flimsy-looking tent, it was well decked-out with a comfortable bed, a computer and even a small stove. It was also refreshingly warm.

Donnerstag put on a pot of tea and sat down by the computer to talk. "A day ago, my lab in Tynda detected a strange energy signature activating here, in the Gobi," he began. "I had no other projects at the time, so I left Frost Man in charge and came with a hired Reploid team to investigate. I was analyzing some colony pieces that I collected when you arrived."

"We're out here for the same reason, actually," Iris explained. "A Maverick called Agile wants something inside the colony, and we need to get to it before he does."

"Agile, hmm? _Ja_, I have heard of him..." Donnerstag nodded. "Very nasty. So, you want to go in and find the energy? I would use caution. Whatever that energy is, it has leaked into everything metallic in the Eurasia colony; the pieces reek of it! I sent my team in to look, but that was six hours ago, and nobody has come back..."

"Oh, dear..." Snake Man gulped.

"So, it's radioactive, too?" Darren asked. "Great..."

"Actually, that sounds logical," Snake Man said. "The colony was infected by the Sigma Virus, you know. That was supposed to have spread like wildfire."

"We couldn't teleport into the colony because the energy is so strong," Iris said. "So, that's why we were walking..."

"We've been hiking for hours..." Darren groaned as he rubbed at his fingers. "I can barely feel my toes..."

"_Ja_, a cold, cold desert this is..." Donnerstag agreed as he poured each person some tea. "Well, you are friends, and Agile is a bad Reploid. So, I shall help you; I will loan you my buggy, so you will not have to walk."

"You will?" Iris asked. "That's great! Thank you, doctor!"

"I have a condition..." Donnerstag chuckled. "We have not been able to get very far into the wreck; ach, this body of mine... Would you bring back some metal from the inner sanctums, _bitte_? And please, find out what happened to those Reploids I hired?"

"Of course," Iris agreed. "We'll find the Reploids and get you as much metal as you need."

"_Wunderbar!_" Donnerstag said happily. "Uh... One of you is able to drive, _ja?_"

"Ugh..." Darren said as he sipped his tea. "Give me a few minutes to warm my limbs back up, and I'll do it... Man, what'd he put in this tea?"

* * *

Iris and her friends finished their tea, then piled into Donnerstag's dune buggy and sped off towards the colony.

"We'll be there in no time, now!" Iris said happily. "But as long as we're here..." She leaned in and turned the heat up to its maximum level.

"Not much to do right now but wait," Snake Man replied.

"Well, how about we hear about you, Snake Man?" Iris asked after a moment. "I mean, you work at the museum with us, but that's all I really know..."

"Are you trying to hide something?" Darren asked jokingly.

"I wasn't trying to hide anything," Snake Man replied with a shrug. "I guess I'm just not very interesting."

"Oh, that's not true," Darren retorted. "I'm sure you're very interesting! For example, uh... Why did you wear your labcoat?"

Snake Man looked down; indeed, his Science Museum labcoat was still pulled over his battle armor. He gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Err... I'm here to represent the scientific community?" he ventured. "Oh, I really don't know; I wear this labcoat so often it's practically a part of me."

"You told me once that you preferred science to fighting," Iris said, recalling the day that Snake Man and she had first met. "If that's true, why did you come along? You knew we would have to fight Agile's men."

"I know," Snake Man answered. "But sometimes, the safest way to calm things down is to stop whoever's causing trouble... Besides, I want to know about the colony."

"Is that so?" Darren asked, his eyes on the still far-off wreck.

"Yeah," Snake Man replied. "I read the reports, as everyone has; apparently Sigma attacked the colony, infected it with his virus and sent it crashing down towards Earth. Fortunately, Zero was able to derail the colony before it could inflict major damage, even though the atmosphere got really messed up. That's why the sky is purple... Anyway, I'm sure that Agile is looking for is some of that virus. From what Donnerstag said, it probably survived in there all these years, and it IS what the Evil Energy was made into..."

"Yeah, you're right!" Darren exclaimed. "I forgot about that part..."

"Yes, but why?" Snake Man continued. "We really don't know why Agile wants the diseases. What could he possibly be planning?"

"If we keep at it, we'll probably learn why," Iris answered. "Though... Maybe we'll wish we hadn't..."

The group was silent for a few minutes. The colony was closer now, but still a ways off.

"So, uh..." Darren said, trying to make another conversation. "Iris... That person in the computer... That was your brother?"

Iris was quiet for a while. "...Yes," she finally replied.

"So, what's his deal?" Darren pushed. "The way you blew up at Smith, I thought you obviously cared about him a lot..."

"Yeah..." Iris sighed sadly. "My brother was there for me when nobody else was..."

Iris told Darren and Snake Man the story of Colonel that she had told Professor Smith a few weeks before. "...That's why I got so angry, I suppose..." she finished. "He doesn't deserve to be locked away in a computer like that."

"I understand, Iris," Darren replied. "But Smith did say he was looking into making a new body for him. Heck, I bet he's cooking up something right now!"

"Yeah..." Iris said quietly. After a moment, she giggled a bit. "Hee hee... Darren, you always know what to say. Thanks."

"No problem," Darren replied. "But right now, we should focus on the Eurasia Colony."

"Why?" Snake Man, who had also listened to the conversation, asked.

Darren hit the brakes and looked up. "We're here," he replied.

The other two Hunters looked up in surprise; the buggy was idling before the collapsed dome of the smashed-up space station.

"...So we are!" Iris exclaimed.

"You were right, Iris," Darren said. "Talking DOES speed things up."

Iris beamed.

A crack in the nearby glass looked like it would make a great doorway. The Hunters climbed up and started in.

"In you go, Darren," Iris said as she stood aside to let him get in.

"Hang on a sec," Darren said. He looked around, then pulled out a remote and pointed it at the buggy. The buggy let out a small chirp. "OK, now I'm good," he chuckled, and slid into the crack.

Iris looked at the buggy again, shrugged, and followed.

* * *

As her eyes adjusted to the dark, Iris peered around at her surroundings; it seemed to be a long tunnel with a downward-curved arc in the floor. "Where are we?" she asked.

"I'm not entirely sure..." Darren said as he glanced around; the metal walls had been painted to resemble bricks. "But these walls kinda make it look like a sewer, don't they? Anyway, at least it's warm..."

"A sewer?..." Snake Man repeated, scratching his chin. "Maybe we're in the colony's water filtration system?"

"The water must've all dried up a long time ago," Iris said, feeling the ground with her hand. "This floor is bone dry."

Darren wrinkled his nose. "And yet, the smell lingers on..." he grumbled. "Let's get out of here, quick."

Iris glanced upward; a ways down the tunnel a faint circle of light shone on the ground. "There's an opening," she said, pointing. "I bet we can get out there."

Snake Man walked to the light and fired his gun upwards. There was a loud metallic ping and more light spilled in. "Manhole," he concluded. "I guess this was a sewer." He fired a snakey grapple and pulled himself up and out.

Iris and Darren walked to the hole and looked up. Snake Man's cheery face looked down at them, and he stuck out an arm. "Come on, then!" he said. "I'll pull you up."

Iris and Darren looked at each other. "Ladies first," Darren said with a polite wave.

Iris started to reach for Snake Man's arm, then gave Darren a funny expression. "Um... Maybe you should go first," she mumbled, turning a bit red.

"Me?" Darren asked. "Why?"

Iris gave him a silly look and pointed to her skirt; his eyes bugged and he blushed heavily. "Oh, right, right!" he stammered. "Silly me!"

"Don't... worry about it," Iris muttered, not losing her blush.

"OK, then!" He grabbed Snake Man's arm and was hauled out of the sewer.

Half a minute later, Iris was pulled out of the sewer. All three Hunters dusted themselves off and looked around. "So, this is the Eurasia Colony, eh?..." Darren asked as he looked around, a frown of distaste on his face.

"...This WAS the Eurasia Colony..." Iris said quietly.

Iris and company were standing in a dust-coated street in the middle of a graveyard of buildings beneath a purple, shattered-dome sky. Some structures had caved in, while others were only half-intact, with spindly, skeleton-like limbs stretching skyward. Grime-coated cars and old tools were strewn about the road, seeming to hint that the colony was abandoned quickly. A faint purple mist hovered a few centimeters off the groun. A stench permeated the air, generated by nothing that anyone could see. There was no sound at all, not even wind.

"...Wow..." was all Snake Man could manage.

"Yes..." Iris agreed. Suddenly, she was overcome with an extremely cold chill, and she instinctively hugged herself for warmth. "Oooohhh!!!" she shivered.

"Iris?" Darren asked; Snake Man had started to shudder in the same way. "What's wrong, guys?!"

"It's so cold!..." Iris gasped. "Why did it get so cold all of a sudden?..."

Darren gave a puzzled look and felt the air in his fingers; it was still warm, as far as he could tell. "...I don't feel any difference..." he said.

"Maybe this is a side effect of the Sigma Virus?" Snake Man asked. "Perhaps that's why Darren can't feel it..."

"Wait," Darren gulped. "Does this mean you guys could turn into Mavericks?! No, wait, you can't! Professor Smith gave you that failsafe program, right?"

"Yeah..." Iris shuddered. "Maybe this is something the program can't stop..."

"You know, I've just thought of something..." Snake Man said as he rubbed himself harder. "If the Sigma Virus is in this colony, then wouldn't it have spread to just about everything?"

"Hmm... Yeah, you're right!" Iris said, briefly forgetting how cold she was. "ANYTHING in here could hold the virus!"

"Do you think that's why Professor Smith hasn't contacted us?" Darren asked.

"Maybe..." Snake Man said. "But I had an idea! To complete our mission... We just have to keep Agile's agent from taking anything."

"That makes it easier!" Darren chuckled. "Now we just have to find him... But we can't forget about Donnerstag's missing men..."

"We'd better start looking, then..." Iris moaned, starting to hug herself again. "I don't know how long I can take this..."

The Hunters started searching around the ruins. They checked inside some of the standing buildings and combed a few rubble piles, but they didn't see any other signs of life, artificial or otherwise.

"Do you see anything?" Iris called as Darren and she watched Snake Man search another building.

"Nope, nothing..." Snake Man replied. "Just let me look in one more room..."

Darren just stood next to Iris, twiddling his thumbs and humming some nameless tune, waiting for Snake Man to finish up. Just then, he heard a noise behind him; a quiet swishing, like something skittering across the street. He whipped around, but no one was there.

"What's wrong?" Iris asked, noticing Darren's alert behavior.

"...Nothing, I guess..." Darren replied with a puzzled look.

The friends checked a few more buildings with no results. They finally reconvened near where they had come out of the sewer. "Where do you think he would be hiding?" Snake Man asked. "We've checked a lot of places..."

"There's one place we haven't looked that's big enough to hold someone..." Darren said, pointing down the street.

Iris turned and saw a large, squarish building with a pillared entrance. Half of the roof was caved in, and several of the walls sagged. A faded old sign at the entrance proudly stated EURASIA COLONY CITY HALL. "I wonder how we overlooked that?" she thought aloud. "Let's go."

As the three friends advanced on the hall, Iris rubbed herself even harder. "Ooohhh... It's getting colder by the second!..." she complained.

"Do you feel OK?" Darren asked. "You're not feeling ill, are you?"

"No, no..." Iris said. "But I'm so cold I can't stop trying to warm up! It's very paralyzing..."

"I know how you feel..." Snake Man grumbled as he buttoned up his labcoat. "Even this coat isn't helping..."

Darren thought hard; if neither Snake Man nor Iris could do much, Agile's man might be difficult to disable. He glanced down at the silver gun on his arm. He hadn't done any testing with it, so he didn't know how strong it was. Still, with a shield vest and the gun, perhaps he could lend a better hand than he was usually able to. He quietly made a pledge to show his friends just how strong he could be; then maybe, just maybe, he would fit in a little better.

Just then, both Iris and Snake Man tripped and fell in front of him. He looked down and clearly saw a shiny line of string stretched across the road. Suddenly, as he watched, it unhooked from one side and slid away into a dark alley. "Hey, what was that?!" he asked.

"Ow..." Snake Man grumbled as he stood back up. "Man, what was that all about, Darren?!" he asked.

"That wasn't funny!" Iris huffed.

"It wasn't me!" Darren defended himself. "You guys tripped over a string!"

Snake Man looked down at the ground; obviously, there was no string. "Sure we did," he muttered. "Knock it off. This is no time to screw around."

"I'm serious!!!" Darren yelled. "I saw it! It went into that alley!" He sprinted over to the dark alley and looked in. There was nothing there.

"Come on, the joke's over," Snake Man sighed. "Let's get back to work."

"I didn't do it!!!" Darren protested.

"I know you like to be funny sometimes," Iris said. "But you shouldn't do it when we're on missions... You scared me!"

"Come on, Iris!" Darren huffed. "Look, I'll prove it! I'm a total klutz, right? How could I have tripped BOTH of you at the same time?!"

Iris thought for a second, then gave him a surprised look. Snake Man opened his mouth to rebute, but nothing came to mind.

"...Wow, you're right..." Iris replied. "Oh, dear... I'm sorry..."

"Wait, this means that Agile's guy is following us!" Snake Man exclaimed. He looked around the street, but nobody was in sight. "HEY!!! WE KNOW YOU'RE IN HERE! SHOW YOURSELF!!!" he called.

There was no answer.

"...OK..." Iris gulped. "Now I'm really getting nervous..."

"...Let's go into City Hall," Darren said. "No use worrying about him for now..."

Iris gave him a worried look, but swallowed and nodded. The Hunters started into the wrecked government building.

The inside of the hall was a total mess, just like everywhere else, but some things were different; the hazy mist that permeated the town was even thicker inside, and its shadowed rooms seemed darker than the other shadowed rooms. The air was thick and stale; even the Hunters' footsteps were muffled in it.

"It feels like we're walking into a tomb or something..." Snake Man remarked quietly as they stopped in the main hall and looked around.

"Please don't say 'tomb...'" Iris whispered.

"Heh," Snake Man chuckled, trying to hide his own anxiousness. "You've been hanging around Sharon too long!"

"Don't be nervous, Iris," Darren tried to reassure his friend. "There's nothing to fear but fear itself, right?"

Suddenly, from off in one of the far rooms, everyone heard a faint, eerie laugh. Everyone's hair stood on end.

"...Right?" Darren asked again more quietly.

"That's probably Agile's agent!" Snake Man said. "Let's find him!"

Iris peered into the stifling darkness. "It could be dangerous," she said. "Did anyone bring a light?"

Darren turned his pockets inside out and found nothing. All Snake Man had was a reading light. Iris bit her lip. "...Fine. I guess we go in without one," she sighed.

Iris and her friends slowly made their way into a wide, high-ceilinged, dark council room; they could guess that it was a big room because the air was a bit less thick. As they moved towards the center, they had to pick their way over some debris. It was strange debris; it felt soft and almost gooey, totally unlike the rest of the hard, metallic colony.

"I wonder what this stuff is?" Snake Man said as he prodded at the debris. "It gives pretty easily..."

"Let's not worry about it..." Iris said, still hugging herself. "Let's find Agile's man, stop him and get the heck out of here!..."

Darren was about to say something when he heard another eerie sound; a whispy, scratching noise off to the left. It sounded like something thin and papery was moving around. He turned and looked into the blackness, but nothing was there.

"I've got a bad feeling about this..." he muttered, backing up a few steps. Just then, he caught his heel on more of the squishy debris and fell on his back.

"Darren! Are you OK?" Iris asked.

Darren was about to answer when an eerie red light shone down on him from above. In the crimson beam, he could make out just what he had tripped over. "Oh, my God..." he choked in disgust.

Beneath Darren's legs lay a Reploid. It was dead; there was no mistaking that. Its body was shriveled and withered like a mummy, and twisted into a horrible pose. Bits of silvery-white fibers were wrapped around its body. Its hollow eye sockets were pools of darkness in the red light.

"Oh, my..." Snake Man gasped.

Iris wanted to scream, but all that escaped was a gurgled squeak. The light went out as quickly as it had come on, and Darren furiously kicked the thing away from him. "G'ahhh!!!" he panted as he got to his feet and ran back to his friends. "Where did that light come from?!"

"G'heh heh heh heh..." a hollow voice cackled from seemingly everywhere. "Surprised?..."

Iris, who had been scared out of her wits until then, suddenly realized something. "Hey... I KNOW that voice!..." she said.

"Hee hee hee..." the raspy voice said. "Iris... So good to see you again... You're looking pretty good... for a corpse!"

"Who are you?!" Snake Man called into the darkness. "Are you Agile's agent?!"

"Yes, I was sent by Agile..." the voice chuckled. "As for who I am... I'll answer with this!"

This time, the whole room lit up with a sick, violet light. Iris stopped breathing. Snake Man bit his lip. Darren fought the urge to vomit.

Strewn all around the room were withered, mangled Reploid carcasses. Each one looked just like the one that Darren had tripped over: twisted, terrifying and partially sealed in a stringy substance. More corpses hung from the ceiling, dangling by more strings or stuck to gigantic spider webs. At the top of the ceiling hung a giant Reploid spider wearing a blue beret and a sinister grin on his mandibles. One of his eyes flashed blood red as he leered at the Hunters. He also held a strange, purple-glowing object in one of his eight hands.

"I hope you haven't forgotten me!" he chuckled darkly.

"Web Spider..." Iris growled quietly.

"Web Spider?" Darren asked. "Another Repliforce 'roid?"

"Indeed..." Web Spider said as he slowly descended on a string that sparked with electricity. "Master Agile told me to come and capture the virus... And so I have." He motioned to the glowing object in his hand. "Of course, since you're all here, I can earn some extra points by slicing you to ribbons!"

"Haven't you killed enough people already?!" Snake Man yelled, motioning towards the bodies. "Where were they from, anyway? There's nobody on this colony!" He paused for a moment to think, then his eyes widened in alarm. "No!..." he gasped.

"Oh, yes," Web chuckled. "Those were a few unfortunates I found wandering around the colony. The poor saps were already succumbing to the virus's effects, so I put them out of their misery... And got a little snack out of it, too!"

"How dare you!!!" Darren yelled angrily, shaking his fist. "Reploids feeding on other Reploids?! That's not just immoral; it's sick!!!"

Web Spider shot Darren a nasty glance. "Well, that's pretty big talk, human... Think you can take me?!"

Iris and Snake Man leaped in front of Darren and bore their weapons. "You'll have to go through us first!" Snake Man declared.

"Darren, get clear!" Iris warned. "He's too strong!"

Darren looked at Iris; she was shivering all over, still under the virus's influence. "But-" he started.

"You heard me!" Iris snapped. "Stay back!"

"Ohh, how touching..." Web Spider cackled. "Looks like you've changed, Iris... I never thought you'd end up with a soft spot for waterbags! Hee hee hee... Fine, then!!!"

Without warning, the purple light faded and the room was thrown back into darkness. The horrible sound of eight giant spider legs scooting every which way filled the Hunters' ears.

"Agh!" Snake Man gulped as he looked around. "Where is he?!"

"He always did love scaring people..." Iris growled as she drew her I-Saber. The gentle purple glow cast a small light, but not enough to see much.

Darren looked all around, but all he could hear was the scratching of those terrible legs. "Iris, are you gonna be OK?!" he asked again.

"We'll be fine!" Iris replied. "You get back! It's way too dangerous!"

"...But you said I could be handy before we got here!" Darren argued.

"That's before I knew that this was Web Spider!" Iris panted. "He's far too strong!"

"But the virus is doing something to you!" Darren retorted. "You're in no condition to fight!..."

"Yes, yes, keep arguing!" Web's voice echoed through the room. "Anger always puts a little zest in the blood... And it makes you LOWER YOUR GUARD!!!"

Web Spider's red eye shone on Snake Man, and then the monster pounced and it went dark again. A loud spraying sound was heard as Snake Man's yells got fainter and fainter.

"Snake Man!!!" Darren yelled.

"Why, you!!!" Iris shouted as she charged into the dark swinging her blade. "Where are you?!"

Instead of the rogue Repliforce officer, Iris's beam picked out Snake Man on the ground, struggling to get out of a thick coating of spider gunk. Iris breathed a sigh of relief.

"Little brat! How dare you interrupt me during feeding time!" Web's voice came from behind her. She whirled around and shot off a few rounds from her I-Buster, but Web was gone. Instead, the plasma bullets slammed into the wall around Darren, who gave a loud yell and covered his head.

"Agh! Hey!!!" he yelled.

"Sorry!" Iris quickly apologized.

"See?" Web's voice sneered behind her again. "All humans do is get in our way! If you didn't have to worry about him, you'd be a much more effective Hunter, dear..."

Iris turned around and fired again, hitting nothing but the old walls. She was really panicking now; beads of sweat dribbled down her forehead like a river. "Where... Where are you?!..." she panted.

"Maybe if you didnt' have to worry about him, you could have seen THIS coming!!!" Web laughed as his red eye targeted Iris.

"Iris!!!" Darren yelled.

Iris turned around just in time for Web Spider to lunge and spray her with string. She toppled backwards and vanished into the darkness.

"No!!!" Darren yelled. "What did you do to them, Web Spider?!"

The purple light came back on. Web was in the center of the room, smirking triumphantly as he held a wrapped-up Iris in his hand. Snake Man was still trying to break out of his coccoon behind them. Darren gritted his teeth and glared.

"G'heh heh heh!!!" Web Spider laughed. "See what happens, human?! Your clumsiness ended up killing your friends! Now, just for laughs, I'm gonna suck 'em dry while you stand there and watch!"

"No way!!!" Darren yelled as he took a step forward. Web Spider thrust out a hand and another glob of gunk flew out and splattered across his legs, gluing him to the floor. Darren struggled, but the goo held fast. "Dammit!" he gasped as he struggled with no effect.

"Hee hee hee heeee!!!" Web sneered. "Now, who'll go first? Oh, I know... Say goodbye to your 'girlfriend,' meatsack!" He lifted Iris towards his mouth and his jaws opened wide.

"NO!!!" Darren shouted angrily. He was so loud that Iris was shaken out of her unconsciousness. He lifted his arm cannon, closed his eyes and fired.

A humongous burst of green plasma blew out of the cannon, its recoil so strong that Darren flew backwards and the gunk around his legs shattered. The blast dove right into Web's chest and blew him into a wall, knocking Iris and the glowing object loose. Iris grunted as she hit the ground wriggling.

"Woah..." Darren panted as he picked himself up and looked at the silver gun. "This thing's got some serious power!..."

Web Spider pulled himself out of the spider-shaped hole in the wall, his red eye flashing violently. "Agghhh, dammit!!!" he yelled. "That does it, fleshwad! You're in for it now!!!" He launched a string into the ceiling and flew at Darren with a bloodcurling shriek.

"Nobody hurts my friends and gets away with it..." Darren growled as he lifted his cannon and fired again.

The tremendous burst flew up and engulfed Web Spider. There was a scream, and then an explosion. The mangled insect crashed to the ground just centimeters away from Darren, his arms and legs snapping off in every direction. "Ughhhh..." he choked, coughing up some more gunk. "G-gurk... D-damn... human... Ack..."

Darren walked up and looked down at him, his silver cannon smoking. "And NOBODY calls me a fleshwad, either," he finished.

Then all was quiet again in the ruined colony.

"Ooohhh..." Darren grunted as he rubbed his shoulder; the gun's power had given him a bad whiplash. "I'm going to have to fix that..." After a moment, he forgot his own bruises and ran over to Iris. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm fine..." Iris replied. "That was amazing, Darren!"

"Hang on; let me get this crap off of you," Darren said as he pulled at the gunk. The substance had now grown hard and brittle, and crumbled into dust with his slightest touch. "Well, what do you know?" he said as Iris shook off the rest and got back up. "I guess it doesn't last long when Web's not around, huh?"

"I'm sorry I told you to back off..." Iris apologized. "I had no idea how much power that gun had!"

"Heh..." Darren chuckled embarrassedly. "...Neither did I."

"Ooogh..." Snake Man said as he broke free of his bindings. "That's something I don't want to relive..."

Iris looked over at the glowing object; it was a small scrap of what could have at one time been some Reploid's armor. "This must have some of that virus!" she exclaimed. "Let's take it back to Professor Smith and-"

As she reached out to grab it, she let out a surprised yelp and jumped back.

"What's wrong?" Darren asked.

"That thing hurts!" Iris winced. "I grabbed at it and a sharp, cold blast went through my body..."

"Cold?" Darren asked. Just then, his eyes lit up. "Aha! If you can't even stand to touch it, this MUST have the strongest concentration of that virus!" He reached over and picked it up; it didn't feel cold at all to him.

"Heh heh..." Snake Man chuckled. "See? There's some use for you after all!"

Darren chuckled quietly and looked around the room; a little more light was shining in, and he could make out the awful bodies that lay around them. "...What are we going to tell Donnerstag about his men?" he asked.

"Exactly what happened," Iris replied.

Darren sighed. "I wish that hadn't happened..." he said. "I know I'm just a human, but I'm sad about it..."

Iris smiled sadly. "Don't feel too bad," she said. "You're the ones we're modeled after, anyway."

"Ah, yes..." Darren replied.

Iris hesitated for a minute, then spoke again. "Darren, if I ever gave you the impression that I thought humans were weak... I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted..." Darren said. He then turned and looked at the bodies again. "Should we-" he started.

"No..." Iris said. "If they've been in here this long without protection, bringing them out would just spread the virus. We had best leave them here..."

"Well, OK..." Darren sighed sadly.

The party got up to leave for home. Before they went, though, Darren walked over and pulled a big chunk of metal out of a wall. "Gonna at least keep part of that promise," he explained.

With the virus in hand and the enemy bested, the Maverick Hunters headed out of the colony and towards home.


	3. The Cold Shoulders

**CHAPTER 3**

**THE COLD SHOULDERS**

A blast of icy wind tore at Sharon's face as she suddenly landed chest-deep in snow. After the initial shock wore off, she glanced around at her surroundings. The world was white; the party had landed right in the middle of a blizzard. X and Zero were nearby, digging themselves out of their own embankments.

"Dammit, prof!" she yelled, starting to shiver. "Why'd you dump me right in a snowbank?!"

"This IS the north pole," Zero muttered as X and he walked over to her.

"Are you OK, Sharon?" X asked. "D'you need help digging out?"

Sharon frowned and activated her S-Buster. Within a minute, the snowbank was melted away. "Nahh, I'm good," she replied, stepping out of the puddle. "So, where are we going?"

"Can't say," X said, straining his eyes and peering around. "This blizzard makes it impossible to see anything!"

"Come in, X!" a voice crackled. "X, respond!"

Surprised, X lifted his hand to his head; Professor Smith was contacting him through his helmet. "Do you read me?" the professor asked.

"Loud and clear, professor," X answered, glancing at Zero and Sharon and seeing that they were picking the conversation up on their helmets, too. "But we're right in the middle of a blizzard!"

"Yeah, sorry about that," Smith apologized. "The weather got ugly all of a sudden, and I couldn't change the coordinates. Don't worry; you're still at the North Pole. There's an abandoned fortress about half a kilometer north of you; that's where Agile sent his Mavericks."

"Abandoned fortress?" Sharon asked. "Uh-oh... Is that where Santa used to live?"

"The North Pole..." Zero repeated, frowning. "...Red Alert."

Sharon looked around anxiously. "What?! What's wrong?!" she asked.

"No, that's a name," X explained. "Red Alert was a band of mercenaries that we had to deal with a while ago..."

"Really?" Smith asked in a surprised voice. "... Ah, well.My history books stop after Eurasia crashed, so I'll have to take your word for it."

"You really should get a new set, prof," Sharon sighed. "I don't think the 21XX edition is entirely accurate."

Smith chuckled embarrassedly. "Heh... I guess this is the result of being surrounded by old things all the time... You just don't notice!" he admitted. "Well, just be careful. I can't reach Iris's group, so I'll spot for you, OK?"

"What?!" Zero demanded, suddenly becoming angry. "What do you mean, you can't reach Iris?!"

"There's some kinda energy signature where they are," he elaborated. "I can't get through."

"You sent Iris into a dead zone?!" Zero yelled. "What kind of irresponsible-"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Sharon huffed, running up to Zero. "Come on, Z! The prof didn't know! And Iris is tough; she can handle it!"

Zero gritted his teeth and stared at the white ground.

"Listen, Zero, I can't talk to her, but I can see what she's doing; she's fine right now," Smith explained.

Zero scowled, but kept quiet.

"Now, concentrate on your own mission," Smith finished. "Whatever Agile's looking for here, you can't let his men get it! Also, I'm a bit worried... There was a Reploid expedition to the North Pole that was supposed to pass by here... I hope they're OK..."

"Expedition?" Sharon asked. "When did you hear about that?"

"It was in the paper yesterday," Smith answered. "I didn't think it was a big deal until now."

"...Right," X answered. "So, which way is north, professor?"

"The wind right now is blowing from directly south," Smith answered. "Just walk with your backs against it!"

Sharon extended her pointer finger and a little flame shot from its tip. It danced in the gusts for a moment, then burned steadily. "This can show us which way the wind is blowing!" she exclaimed. "C'mon, guys! I'll lead!" She made her way through the knee-deep snow, walking opposite the way her flame blew.

Zero frowned as he watched Sharon disappear into the blizzard. "What a child," he grumbled.

"She's really strong, actually," X replied. "She DID help Iris find you."

Zero said nothing, but started following the soft light that Sharon's flame gave. X watched him go, then shrugged and started walking.

* * *

The blizzard refused to dissipate as the Hunters trudged on through its ankle-deep deposits. Though the wind was at their backs, it was still an arduous trek.

It might have just been a trick of Sharon's mind, but she could almost feel each snowflake piling up around her. Though she was indeed a fire-type Reploid, she was extremely cold; she shivered all over, and her lower lip was beginning to turn blue.

She glanced over at X and Zero, who pushed through the drifts alongside her. X looked a tad chilly and rubbed his arms every so often, but kept a steady pace. If Zero was cold, he hid it well. Sharon saw this and her pride swelled. She quickly decided against complaining about the temperature; if these two-hundred-year-old Reploids could take a frosty wind without a groan, then she certainly wasn't going to.

Finally, X pointed off into the distance; a wide building could be faintly seen through the storm Next to it lay a toppled old tower. "That's Red Alert's Crimson Palace!" he said. "We're here!"

"There will be sentries at the entrance," Zero stated, drawing his Z-Saber.

"Awesome!" Sharon huffed, the flame on her finger burning brighter. "Let's get inside and kick some butt!"

"Sharon, wait-" X started, but she was already charging up the hill towards the building. He sighed and turned to Zero, who had a deep frown plastered on his face. He chuckled a bit at the sight. "Well, she has a lot of spirit..." he admitted.

Zero didn't reply; he simply ran for the fortress.

X sighed again. "What, is it 'leave X behind' day?" he asked.

* * *

The roving eye of the spherical, floating FroStar Mechaniloid hovered in the Crimson Palace's entrance, observing the approaching figures. It had picked out the three smudges in the snow a ways away, but had quickly deemed them harmless and continued scanning the nearer areas for any signs of trouble. Now that they were drawing closer quickly, though, it had taken a stronger interest.

Its sensors whirred as it clearly detected a seemingly hostile approaching Reploid, and its defenses sprang to life. Its spherical body snapped open and several strong fans generated a powerful tornado around it. Within moments, it was covered in enough collected ice and snow to assume the shape of a giant, frosty claw. It whirred and click anxiously, ready for combat.

The Mechaniloid never had a chance. A red-armored girl leaped down on it, launched a barrage of fireballs from her arm cannon and melted all of its ice away. She gave one swift kick, and it was embedded in the palace's wall, shattered beyond repair.

"Ha! In yer FACE!" Sharon laughed triumphantly. "This is gonna be a piece of cake!"

X and Zero arrived on the scene. "Oh..." X said, glancing at the wreck and lowering his X-Buster. "I, uh, guess you took care of that by yourself, huh?..."

"Yup!" Sharon chuckled, swelling with pride. "Nobody can beat my kung-fu fire skills!"

Zero's frown did not disperse. "...C'mon," he muttered, brushing past her and pushing in the door.

Sharon harrumphed and folded her arms; Zero's cold attitude was starting to irk her. "Man, what's his deal?!" she asked. "He's a walking rain cloud!"

"Zero's... complicated," X tried to explain. "He doesn't like to open up to many people..."

Sharon's expression changed from angry to puzzled. "...Really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Really," X confirmed. "Heck, it took him a couple of months to address me as just 'X' when we first met, and that was way before the Repliforce thing..." He paused and looked into the doorway. "After he lost Iris, he got even colder..." he finished. "Losing something you care about never really leaves you..."

Sharon scratched her head and sighed a sigh of understanding. She knew exactly what that kind of hurt was like; her own creator had given her life merely for his own personal pleasure, and the sting of that fact never faded from her mind. She recalled how hard it was for her to open up to other humans, even when Professor Smith had found her wandering the outskirts of Saint Paul and taken her in.

_(Flashback)_

The cold, blue-haired girl shivered in the laboratory, clothed in nothing but a dirty robe and provocative undergarments. Professor Smith entered with a blanket and a steaming mug. "Here you go," he said as he put the blanket over her shoulders and offered the mug. "Go on; it's nice, hot tea."

The girl, too cold to complain, sipped at the drink. Finding that it tasted pretty good, she took a few more gulps.

"Yes, that's good," Smith said. "Take as much time as you need."

The girl gave him a defensive glare. "What do you want from me?" she growled.

Smith looked surprised. "What?" he asked. "What do you mean?"

"You pulled me off the street, human..." she muttered, shaking the blanket off and putting the cup down. "Obviously you want me to do something for you..."

"No, not really..." he answered. "You looked pretty cold, and I thought you could use a shelter."

"Oh, so you lured me in, huh?!" she snapped, getting angrier by the second. "What, did he tell you about me?! Did he say you could do what you wanted?! Huh?!"

"He?" Smith asked. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Quit playing with me!" she yelled. "You humans are all alike, thinkin' you can do whatever the hell you want! Let me out, right now!"

Smith raised an eyebrow, but walked over and opened his lab's door. "All right, let me lead you out of the building," he said.

They walked up a flight of stairs and through a large room filled with bones of gigantic animals. "Woah... What IS this?..." the girl asked.

"This is a museum," Smith answered. "A science museum. We display lots of cool stuff, like these dinosaurs."

The girl eyed Smith suspiciously, but her interest was piqued. "...Show me more," she said.

"All right," Smith answered. "Come this way..."

He led her down the hall and showed her several exhibits: a water-filtration system, a study of human and Reploid anatomy, an experiment in sound waves and more. Finally, they stopped at an exhibit on Ancient Egypt.

"This is our Egyptian exhibit," Smith said. "I know it doesn't exactly look like it would belong in a SCIENCE museum, but we mostly study how the ancient Pharaohs were mummified."

The girl looked down at a shriveled husk of a mummy and shuddered. "Ugh... That's disgusting," she muttered. "How did these people ever get to be an empire? How-"

Suddenly, something else caught her eye. She turned and looked over at a small board with several little pictures attached to it; they seemed to be arranged in a pattern.

"Heiroglyphs," Smith said. "The Ancient Egyptian language."

"Language..." the girl murmured. "...I... I like languages."

"You do?" Smith asked. "Great! It's always good to have a hobby..."

She started to move the little magnetic pictures around, trying to make them mean something. It was pretty new to her, but she figured out basic spelling. "...There," she said as she stepped back.

Smith regarded the heiroglyphic arrangement. "What's this?..." he asked. Using a letter key on the wall, he translated what the girl had written. The grammar and syntax were off, but Smith understood what she wanted to say:

"I want to be me..."

He looked back at the girl and saw some tears starting to form in her eyes. He glanced out a nearby window; a massive blizzard was raging through the city. "Hmm..." he said. "It's pretty cold out there... You can go if you want, but you might at least want to finish your tea..."

She looked outside, then at the heiroglyphs, then at the unshaven man. She had only just met him, but something inside her seemed to tell her that he meant no harm. Slowly, she nodded.

"All right," he replied. "Let's go back and have some more tea."

They walked down the hall towards his lab. "Mister, um..." she started.

"My name is Professor Smith," Smith said.

"Mister Smith..." she said. "Could you teach me those heiroglyphs?..."

Smith smiled warmly. "Of course," he replied.

_(End Flashback)_

In time, she grew to trust the professor like a father, became a museum security guard and took the name Sharon Doherty. Then she learned to trust Darren, and then other Reploids like Snake Man and Iris.

"Yeah, I understand..." she said. "But wallowing in it doesn't help; I learned that much." She glanced between the door and X for a few moments more, then gave a wry chuckle. "Heh! Well, thanks, X! You've just given me a mission of my own!" she declared.

"Oh?" X asked. "What would that be?"

She gave him a sly wink. "I'm gonna get Zero to be my friend!" she said. "If he can stand me, he can stand anybody!"

X grimaced. "Umm... Are you sure that's such a good idea?" he asked.

"Of course it is!" she answered. "Besides, I think he could use a few more pals..." she added in a more serious tone. "OK, let's go after him!"

X and Sharon dashed into the building and found Zero standing in the center of the entrance hall, an annoyed, decisive look on his face. There were two doorways branching off to the right and left, respectively. A third door with steps led upwards, but it was coated with rubble and snow, showing that there was no upper floor anymore. "Which way to go...?" he asked as the others drew near.

"Well, nobody said this would be easy..." X remarked. "We could split up, but... Should we really risk separating?"

"I'm picking up Maverick readings in both directions," Smith's voice crackled in their ears. "Whichever way you go, I'll monitor."

Sharon scratched her head for a moment, then her eyes lit up; if Zero and she took the same path, she would have a chance to talk with him. Maybe then, he'd lighten up a bit. "Ahh, I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle!" she laughed. "Splitting up means we can cover both paths at once!"

"Well, yes, but-" X started.

"Oh, don't worry about it, blue!" Sharon chuckled, slapping X on the back. "Lissen, you go on ahead down the left way, and Zero and I'll take the right. How 'bout that?"

X regarded Sharon for a moment with some confusion before he realized what she was getting at. Still, he was wary of what kind of dangers lurked in the old dungeon and felt the need to voice it. "It's going to be dangerous either way," he said.

"Don't worry about me," Zero replied, fingering his Z-Saber and walking towards the right.

"All right, I guess I'll go left, then..." X said as he turned.

"Awright!" Sharon laughed. "OK, we'll see you later, X! Good luck!"

"I just hope you know what you're doing..." X muttered with a twinge of worry. "Don't get too friendly, or..."

"Relax!" Sharon replied. "I'm not trying to pull anything! I just want him to chill out!"

"Well, OK..." X said. "Good luck." He turned and headed down the left-hand tunnel. Sharon cracked her knuckles and ran down the right-hand one to catch up with Zero.

* * *

Zero walked slowly through the ice-coated hall, his weapon at the ready. As focused on the mission as he was, he couldn't help but worry about Iris. He knew how gentle and kind she was, and the thought of her being sent off to combat bloodthirsty Mavericks was unsettling. Could she keep calm in rough situations? Did she know how to use her weapons properly? Could she move fast enough and think fast enough to avoid getting hurt? And what about the company she was keeping? Snake Man seemed strong enough, be he was a pretty outdated machine... And what could that clumsy human do? He could very well end up getting them all killed. All these thoughts and other voices of dread and pessimism pestered him as he strode.

Zero was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice when Sharon ran up behind him. "Hey, Zero, wait up!" she called.

In a completely involuntary reaction, Zero whirled around and swung his blade. If Sharon hadn't ducked, she would have been shorter by a head.

"Whagh!" she huffed, stopping to catch her breath. "What was THAT for?!" she yelled.

Zero's face went from pale to annoyed when he saw who it was. "...Don't surprise me like that," he said, lowering the Z-Saber.

"Geez, sorry," she said, though she wondered why she was the one apologizing.

"...Why did you follow me?" he asked. "I prefer to work alone."

Sharon thought quickly; she would have to give him a better excuse than that she just wanted to be pals. "Uh... Well, I thought you could use a light," she said, igniting her finger again. "X can use his Buster as a lamp, but your sword doesn't glow very much... Besides, you may need me to melt something!"

Zero frowned. The last thing he wanted right now was to babysit a loudmouthed hothead, but she had some good points; it was getting darker in the hall every second, and he hadn't brought anything besides his sword. "...All right," he finally conceded. "Just watch it." He turned and kept walking.

Sharon sighed with relief. "(Whew! OK, phase one is done,)" she thought. "(Now I just have to keep his interest piqued... Maybe some conversation will help?)"

She walked alongside Zero, her finger throwing light on the chilly corridors. "So, um," she started. "...Pretty cold in here, isn't it?"

He remained silent. Sharon decided to try again. "Uh... I wonder how X is doing?" she ventured.

He stayed quiet. Sharon was starting to lose patience, but she decided to try to talk one more time. "So..." she began. "Tell me about Iris and you. How's that going?"

Zero looked down at Sharon out of the corner of his eye and frowned. "I don't pry into your personal life," he replied, and sped up his walking to get further away.

Sharon was pretty discouraged. Conversation wasn't getting her anywhere; in fact, it seemed to make him want to avoid her more. Pondering as she walked, she decided to change tactics; if she couldn't get Zero to respect her through conversation, perhaps he would take note of her battle skills. She silently wished that they would get attacked so she could demonstrate her awesome martial arts moves.

They rounded a corner and a small ray of light could be seen in the distance. "Maybe there's a larger room coming up," Sharon suggested.

"A larger room means more chance of Mavericks..." Zero growled, gripping his sword tighter. "Get ready."

Sharon and Zero cautiously stepped down the corridor until they reached the light; it came from a small crack in an old door. Zero sidled against the wall and reached out to gently push it open.

"No worries, Z!" Sharon declared, seeing her chance to prove to the Maverick Hunter that she wasn't just dead weight. "I'll take 'em!"

"No, wait-" Zero started, but Sharon was already halfway through the door.

She landed on a snow-covered floor and gave a mighty yell, then threw some fierce punches and kicks into the air for a good thirty seconds. Finally, she slowed and stopped, realizing that the large, circular room was totally empty. "(PANT PANT GASP)" she breathed heavily. "Whew... False alarm..."

Zero walked up behind her with an extremely dark frown. She looked up at him and grinned embarrassedly. "Hehhh... I guess I scared them off, huh?..." she gulped.

He simply shook his head. "...C'mon," he muttered, walking past her towards a connecting door.

Sharon fumed. She was mad at herself for screwing up, but Zero sure had a way of rubbing it in. "Hey, I'm sorry, OK?!" she grumbled. "It was an honest mistake! I-"

Suddenly, two loud howls split the air, and Zero looked up in alarm. Sharon looked where he was looking and gasped; two giant Ice Wolfoid Mechaniloids were hanging on the ceiling, their snarling fangs dripping steaming drool into the snow below. With one quick motion, they unhooked themselves and landed on their claws in front of the Hunters.

Zero leered at one of the blue monsters. "A trap..." was all he said before flying at the beast, his Z-Saber flashing. The wolf opened its jaws and lunged.

Sharon watched the sword and the teeth clash. "Well, if you've got that one..." she said, turning to the second wolf, who was running right for her, "then I'll handle this guy!"

She leaped into the air and hit the wolf in the side with a fierce kick. The wolf skidded across the snow, but stayed on its feet and charged again, its fangs glistening. It leaped on Sharon and snapped its jaw, missing her face by half an inch. It then raised a claw and slashed a hole in her armor. Boiling over with rage, she let out a barbaric yell and pushed the monster into the air, then pelted it with fire shots from her S-Buster. It crashed down into the snow with a yelp, and Sharon flew at it again. She bashed its face with a three-punch combo and then kicked it into the air again. "Yeah! That'll teach you!!!" she roared as she jumped at the Mechaniloid again.

Zero was still in a deadlock with his Wolfoid attacker, with neither entity giving an inch. The monster snarled angrily and exhaled a gust of cold gas from its nostrils. Still holding fast, Zero veered away just as the gas connected with the ground and froze solid. He quickly yanked his sword out of the Wolfoid's mouth, and as it lunged at him again, sent the blade through its head. It shuddered, gurgled, then collapsed.

He removed his Z-Saber and looked over at Sharon, who was in the middle of knocking her monster into the air again. With a triumphant yell, she leaped up at the wolf with her fist blazing. "Ha!!! Zero, ya gotta see this!!!" she yelled, grinning at him.

Just then, the Wolfoid's eyes flickered, it opened its mouth and the same cold gas spewed out. "Look out!!!" Zero yelled.

Sharon turned, and the gas caught her. She yelled out in pain as her whole body up to her head was encased in ice, and she tumbled to the floor. "Aghh!!!" she roared, trying hard to free herself. She tried to melt the stuff with her S-Buster, but it was too thick. The wolf landed on top of her and licked its slobbery chops. She gulped and stared into the horrible maw.

A quick flash later, that horrible maw was on the ground beside her. Zero shoved the rest of the monster off of her, knelt down and plunged his Z-Saber into her icy prison. It shattered instantly.

"Ughhh..." Sharon groaned as she sat up and rubbed at her head. "What was THAT?..." She glanced up at Zero, who wore the same frown as before. "Thanks, Zero," she said as she got up. "You really should thank Professor Smith for making you that new sword! Heh heh... We totally kicked their butts!"

Zero still glared. "...You're an idiot," he finally said.

Sharon recoiled in surprise, then fumed angrily. "What?!" she yelled. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

"You're careless, you're sloppy and you're overemotional," Zero elaborated. "The Mechaniloid took advantage of your poor technique, You let your anger control your body, and your carelessness got you frozen."

"What?!" she snarled. "NOBODY calls me weak!!!"

"I didn't say you were weak," Zero continued. "You're just incompetent. If you just fought with your head in addition to your fists..."

Sharon's eyes widened with fury. "OK, THAT is IT!!!" she screamed. "I've worked my ass off trying to be nice to you, but all you do is insult me, you walking funeral!!!"

"I wasn't trying to insult you," Zero said. "You need to improve your skills; I'm jurt trying to help you see-"

"Help?!" Sharon yelled. "You call that help?! All you've done is clam up and make me feel like dirt!!!"

Zero stayed quiet.

"See?!" Sharon snapped. "That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about!" She swore and stamped her foot in the snow. "How does X stay your friend? Hell, what does Iris see in you?!"

Zero blinked. "...What?" he asked.

"Do you do this to everyone who tries to be your friend?!" she fumed. "If this is how you act, it's a freakin' miracle that you even have Iris and X, let alone anyone else!"

He raised an eyebrow. "You were... trying to make friends with me?..." he asked.

"What the hell did you THINK I was doing?!" she yelled.

Zero opened his mouth to respond when the door opened and X slid in. "Hey, guys!" he called.

"X!" Sharon called, turning from Zero. "What's up? Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, looking down at the wreckage of the Wolfoids. "Looks like I wasn't the only one fighting, huh?"

Zero looked between the wrecks and Sharon. "No... You weren't," he replied.

"Well," X went on. "There were a bunch of Mavericks the other way. I questioned everyone I could, but all I could get out of 'em were the words 'DNA Data...'"

"Did you say DNA Data?" Smith's voice crackled in their helmets.

"Agh!" Sharon yelped, grabbing at her head. "Professor, WARN us before you do that!!!"

"Sorry," Smith apologized. "But I was scanning the base, and I detected a huge amount of Reploid DNA Data somewhere inside... Is there somewhere you haven't gone yet?"

"I'm not sure, Professor," X answered. "We've checked all of this floor, and the other floors above are too damaged to walk around in, so..."

"Where else could something be?" Zero asked.

Sharon scratched her chin. "Well, there could be a basement..." she said.

"A basement?" X asked.

"I don't know, Sharon," Smith sighed. "You ARE on the North Pole; most of the area is ocean with a thin ice coating... Anything too heavy or too deep in the ice could break and sink... It's a miracle they even built this place, let alone had a basement!"

"Yeah, but there could still be one!" Sharon argued. "If we've checked this whole floor and there's nothing left of the others, what other explanation could there be?"

Zero stared hard at Sharon, chewing the idea over in silence.

"But where would there be an entrance to a basement?" X asked. "We checked this whole floor, and I didn't see any doors..."

"...What about trap doors?" Zero suddenly said.

"Trap doors?" Smith asked. "Well... If there IS a basement, perhaps..."

"Sharon, use your fire to melt this snow," Zero said, motioning to the coating of snow on the floor.

Sharon stared at Zero with a questioning look, then knelt down and activated her S-Buster. "OK, here goes nothin'!" she said.

The weapon glowed, and in moments, all that was left of the snow was steam. The metallic floor was clearly visible, and in its center was a small hatch.

"Bull's eye!" X exclaimed.

"OK, let's get down there!" Sharon said, grabbing the handle and pulling the door off with one tug.

X, Zero and Sharon dropped into a darkened room even colder than above. "Is everyone here?" X asked.

"I'm fine," Zero's voice came in. "Hmm... Why is it so cold down here..."

"Hang on a sec!" Sharon said. "I'll get us some light!"

In one moment, Sharon's finger illuminated the room. In another moment, everyone wished that it hadn't.

"What the?!" Zero gasped.

"Oh, my God..." X whispered.

"Woah..." was all Sharon could get out.

The humongous auditorium-sized room was filled with ice. Not solid sheets of ice, but large glacier-like chunks that sparkled and glistened in the fire's light. Inside each of those chunks of ice were dozens of Reploids decked out in arctic garb, frozen in positions of terror and agony.

"Wha... What IS this?!" Sharon yelled.

A bloodcurdling howl filled the room in response, and a cold gust blew over the Hunters, extinguishing Sharon's flame.

"Hey!" X called. "Who's there?!"

Two small lights appeared nearby. They shone with a cold, dangerous light. "So... The Maverick Hunters have come for me again..." a cold, raspy voice echoed.

"That voice..." Zero growled.

"Hey... I know you..." X said.

"Huh? What's going on?" Sharon asked. "Who are you, and what did you do to those Reploids?!"

Lights slowly came on all across the room, and the Hunters were face to face with a large Reploid wolf. He wore shining white armor and his hair was spiked into a blue, icy mohawk. He grinned cruelly as he flexed his icicle-shaped claws. "I am Blizzard Wolfang," he said in the same raspy voice. "I am sure that Mega Man X and Zero remember me... As for these..." He motioned to the frozen Reploids. "They were simply passersby who grew too curious for their own good..."

"The expedition team!" Smith's voice exclaimed. "Oh, lord... This is horrible..."

"How could you do such a thing?!" Sharon snarled as she felt the rage inside of her bubbling up. "They were just exploring!..."

"If I had not silenced them, then I would not have been able to acquire this..." Wolfang said, holding up a small disk. "And so, they had to be put to sleep."

"That must be the DNA Data those Mavericks talked about!" X exclaimed.

"All the DNA Data that Red Alert stored here..." Zero growled. "Who knows what kind of power is in that..."

"Indeed..." Wolfang said, putting the disk somewhere in his armor. "Now, I must take it back to Agile..."

Sharon's face was twisted in fury. "You... You rotten murderer!!!" she yelled. "There's no way in hell you're getting out of here alive!!!" She readied her S-Buster and trained it on Wolfang. X and Zero did the same with their own weapons.

"So... This is how it shall be?..." Wolfang asked. "...Very well. Three more shall sleep here... For my master's will is absolute!!!" He dropped to all fours and let out another bone-chilling howl.

"OK, let's take this guy!!!" Sharon yelled. "I'm gonna-"

Wolfang was already barrelling down on her; on all fours, he was extremely fast. With a ferocious snarl, he pulled his claw back and swung, knocking her across the room before she could react.

"Sharon!!!" X yelled, charging his X-Buster and firing into Wolfang's shoulder. The canine snarled and sped right at him, but Zero leaped in his way and swung his Z-Saber. His blade caught Wolfang on the chin and knocked him to the cold ground.

"Is that all you have?" Zero asked, pointing his sword at Wolfang's head. "Surrender now, before things get worse for you."

Wolfang gave Zero a nasty glare. In a split second, he was halfway across the room, and Zero and X's legs were encased in thick ice. "What?! Hey!" Zero yelled, looking down in surprise.

"I guess that WASN'T all he had!" X remarked, trying to break free.

"Surely you did not think I would forget my old skills?" Wolfang chuckled darkly. "Now... GRAAAHHH!!!"

Wolfang lept in, pulled back his claw and slashed X across the chest, sending him flying backwards into a wall. He then hopped over, pulled his claw back and sent Zero flying the other way.

"Agghhhh..." X groaned as he tried to get up. "He's... stronger..."

"Damn..." Zero choked.

"Hmmph," Wolfang grunted. "I was hoping the legendary Hunters hadn't lost their touch after a hundred years... Oh, well."

Sharon had been watching Wolfang clobber her allies, but now she could watch no more. Sore all over, she slowly got to her feet. "Hey, Wolfang..." she growled. "You think you got us all?! You missed one!"

Wolfang regarded the firey Reploid. "Hmm..." he said. "I do not see why I should waste my time with such weaklings. Farewell." He turned and started for the exit.

Sharon's face was a mask of cold hatred. "No one... calls... me... WEAK!!!" she roared, charging her S-Buster and sending a giant burst of flame at Wolfang's head; the Maverick had to duck to avoid it.

"Well..." Wolfang sneered at her. "You have spunk..." He charged across the floor and came face-to-face with her. "...I HATE spunk," he finished.

"You're gonna answer for killing all these Reploids!" Sharon growled back, her arm igniting for a firey punch. "I'll take you down for all of their sakes!!!"

"Sharon!" X called.

Zero said nothing, but watched anxiously.

"Very well," Wolfang growled, pulling his claw back. "Let's see just how long you LAST!..."

The mighty blow sent Sharon skidding across the floor again, but she caught her toe on an ice chunk and bounded back to her feet. She leaped at the monster with several firey punches and kicks, but he dodged each of them. She fired her S-Buster, but he even evaded those fireball shots.

"Heh..." Wolfang jeered. "Fire may have an edge over ice, but only when wielded properly!..." Sharon threw another punch and he dodged. "You are careless..." she kicked and he ducked. "You are sloppy..." she threw a left hook and he slid under it. "...And you are overemotional!" he finished.

Sharon fumed. Careless, sloppy, overemotional... Those three things were exactly the same faults that Zero had pointed out. Maybe there was some truth behind them...

Wolfang dodged another punch and sent his knee into Sharon's stomach. She gave a loud gasp and staggered backwards.

"Sharon!!!" X yelled.

"You do not have the focus to defeat me..." Wolfang growled. "And you shall pay with your life." He pulled his claw back to administer a death blow.

Suddenly, Sharon recalled one other thing that Zero had told her; 'fight with your head as well as your fists.' Wolfang had been pulling his claw back for the same strong move several times. She saw her opening and took it. With one quick motion, she sent a lightning-fast firey punch straight through his stomach.

"AAAAAGGGHHHH!!!" Wolfang howled as he staggered backwards, the DNA Data disk dropping to the ground at his feet.

"I may be sloppy and careless," Sharon mused as she picked the disk up. "...But at least I'm not predictable!"

Wolfang toppled over on his face and grew silent.

X and Zero picked themselves up and walked over to Sharon. "Way to go, Sharon!" X praised. "You handled that all by yourself, and brilliantly!"

"Aww, go on," Sharon chuckled, scratching her head in embarrassment. Just then, she noticed Zero looking at her. She turned to him and nodded. "Thanks, Zero," she said.

"Thanks?" he asked.

"What you said earlier... About using my head?" Sharon replied. "Thanks. I'd have been dead if you hadn't said it. Sorry for blowing up at you."

Zero shook his head. "No... You don't have to apologize, Sharon. You were right, too... I'm not exactly good at making friends..."

Sharon grinned and extended her hand. "Well... I'll work on keeping my cool if you work on your social skills. Deal?"

Zero regarded her hand questioningly for a moment, then faintly smiled and shook it.

"Nice sentiment, guys..." X said, looking around at the frozen corpses. "...But what are we going to do about all these Reploids?..."

"I guess we had better call someone to come to get them," Sharon said. "I'm sure their families will want them back..."

"I'll contact the nearest Reploid hospital," Smith's voice said. "They'll come and clean up. You guys hurry and bring back that data."

"Copy that," X answered. "Let's go home, guys."

"Yes," Zero agreed. "Let's... friends."

Sharon beamed.


	4. Doppelgängers

**CHAPTER 4**

**DOPPELGÄNGERS**

The cold winds of the Gobi melted away and were replaced by the familiar scent of formaldehyde and old pizza as Iris reappeared in the Science Museum's transporter room. She glanced around and was glad to see that Darren and Snake Man were back as well.

"I guess that went as well as could be expected," Snake Man muttered, taking off his helmet and shaking his brown hair.

"Having so many Reploids get killed can hardly be 'going well,'" Darren grumbled, fishing out the glowing piece of metal. "But at least we recovered this..."

"Let's take it to the professor; he'll know what to do," Iris suggested. "I just hope Zero and the others did better than we did..."

There was a slight hum from behind them. They turned just in time to see X, Zero and Sharon materialize. All three of them looked very cold, and Sharon clutched a small disk in her fingers.

"Hey, guys!" Darren exclaimed. "How did it go?"

"Decently, I guess..." X sighed. "We stopped Blizzard Wolfang and recovered the data, but a lot of innocents were..."

"Really?" Iris asked. "The same thing happened to us..."

Zero shook a little excess snow off of his shoulders and walked over to Iris. "...You're all right?" he asked, throwing a dark look at Darren and Snake Man.

"We're all fine, Zero," she replied, oblivious to his glare. "Thanks for asking."

The door opened and Smith walked in. "Hey, guys," he greeted them. "So, let's see what you've brought back, eh?"

The party walked back to the iMarc room, where the oversized screen glowed dismally. "All right, may I have the two items?" Smith asked.

Darren handed him the armor piece, and Sharon surrendered the disk. "Thanks," he said, turning to the computer. "I'll start analyzing them right away. In the meantime, go and see Olson in his lab; he said he's got something to show you all."

The Hunters left Smith to his labwork and headed down the hall. "Whaddya think he could have?" Sharon piped up.

"No idea..." Snake Man replied. "I know that Olson's well-versed in Reploid weapon and armor, but I still don't know why he'd call us..."

Charles Olson was one of Smith's old scientist friends. He had worked at the museum for a long time, studying prehistoric fossils and other ancient material. He also tinkered with Reploid weaponry as a hobby.

"I guess it's better than being sent up to Peabody's office," Darren chuckled.

Iris gulped and nodded. Frances G. Peabody, the museum's curator, was a crabby, miserly man who didn't like Professor Smith in the least, and he projected that dislike onto all of Smith's employees. He had only employed Smith for his sensational computer skills, and he only kept the Hunters around because they were ancient relics themselves, and the museum gained lots of publicity with their working there. She shuddered to think what would happen should Peabody change his mind and fire them all.

"In all my years hunting Mavericks, the one thing I didn't have to deal with was an angry boss..." X recalled. "...And I don't want to start now!"

"Amen to that," Sharon answered as they came to a door marked C. OLSON. "Ah, here we are. In we go!"

Darren opened the door and everyone filed in to a whitewashed office. Unlike Smith's usual surroundings, this office was fairly organized and clean. Olson sat at a large table on the other side of the room, tinkering with some pieces of metal. He looked up when the Hunters walked in and grinned. "Well, hey there, kids!" he said as he hopped off his stool. He was a short, portly, balding man with thick glasses, but he was a very kind fellow.

"Hi, Professor Olson," Iris said. "We heard that you called us?..."

"Yeah," Olson said. "You're just in time! Seeing as how you guys are on a new mission, I've got some things that'll be of use to you."

He walked over to the pile of metal, grabbed a pair of tweezers and started poking through a tubular piece. "Ross watched you guys fight the Mavericks over his computer. Very well done, all of you! But you forgot a few things when you left..."

"Forgot things?" Zero asked. "We defeated Agile's men and reclaimed the items they had. What did we forget?"

"What?" Olson asked, chuckling. "You're kidding me, right, Zero? Have you forgotten your greatest strengths already?"

"Greatest strength?..." Iris asked.

Olson pulled a little harder on the piece. "I had Smith send me some parts of the Mavericks you fought so I could show you," he said, lifting the part up; it was actually one of the late Web Spider's arms.

"Aww, geez!" Sharon cried, turning green and looking away. "I don't wanna see that!!!"

"Relax; there's only one bit we need anyway," Olson said. He gave one last pull and the tweezers came out, clutching a tiny computer chip. "This chip was this Maverick's weapon drive," he explained. "If you integrate it into your own systems..."

"Oh, yeah!" X exclaimed. "We can use their weapons! How could we forget that?!"

"Yeah..." Iris said, scratching her head. "I thought it happened automtically?..."

"Well, it's like this," Olson said. "X, Zero and you were built so you could scan the Mavericks and collect the weapon without needing a chip; that's why you could instantly access them. However..." he looked at Darren and Sharon. "You two were the ones that beat these guys, weren't you?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess," Darren said.

"You bet!" Sharon laughed. "I kicked his ass!"

"Exactly," Olson said. "Darren, you're a human, so naturally your gun must be manually equipped with the chips. So, hand me your gun and I'll put Web Spider's weapon in for you!"

Darren blinked a few times, then pulled off the arm cannon and gave it to him. "Wonderful," he said. "Now, Sharon..."

"Wait a minute!" Sharon protested. "How come I need a chip now? When I beat Launch Octopus, I got his weapon without needing one!"

"Yes..." Olson replied. "I analyzed your blueprints, and it turns out that your creator only gave your weapon drive enough memory to scan and store one technique. So, any other moves have to be installed manually."

Sharon fumed. "Figures..." she muttered. "And the technique he was hoping I'd learn probably wasn't the one I got..." She grew red and frowned at him. "So, what, are you gonna dress me down and pop it in?!"

Olson blushed and shook his head furiously. "C-c-certainly not, young lady! I just need your dominant foot's leg armor."

Sharon's face went from angry to confused. "Huh? Why?" she asked.

"I can modify it to store several new weapon chips," he replied. "In addition, I'll make it so you can use them with both legs! How's that?"

"Well, that sounds OK..." Sharon said, reluctantly pulling off her right leg's armor. "But what if I get another skill for my fists?"

"Well, I'll just do the same thing with your arm armor," he replied. "It's very simple, and I promise it won't weigh you down. OK?"

"Well, if it'll let me help Iris and the others more, then go ahead," she said, handing him her boot. "Take good care of it, you hear?"

"Of course," he replied, grasping the boot in both hands. "I'll have these done in about an hour. Come back then!"

"All right," Snake Man answered. "So, guys, why don't we head back and see what Smith's found out about the stuff?"

Everyone agreed, and they filed out of the lab. As Olson watched them leave, a faint odor wafted into his nostrils. He glanced down and grimaced. "Ugh..." he said as he started to work. "Maybe I'll also install some foot fresheners in here..."

* * *

A lone Reploid sentry nervously hesitated outside his master's chamber door. He worried what the master would think of the news he brought; he had heard rumor that other messengers hadn't come out of the chamber alive. Still, his duty as a soldier came before his nervous feelings, and he gently rapped on the metal door.

"Enter!" a voice called from inside.

The door slid open, and the soldier shuffled in. "Ah, good day, Fitz," the master said. "Do you bring good news?"

Fitz gulped and looked up; Agile sat in a large, purple throne, a cruel grin on his lips and a glass of red wine in his hand. Windows across the back of the room gave a splendid view of dark, frozen wildnerness.

"...N-no, master Agile," the soldier answered. "The officers you sent to collect the ingredients... The Ma-Maverick Hunters have defeated them... And taken the ingredients."

Agile sipped his wine and feigned a sad face. "Oh, poo!" he exclaimed. "That's not good news at all!"

The Reploid bowed, sweat running down his face. "...M-my apologies, master..." he gasped.

"Oh, there's no need for apologies..." Agile said calmly, putting his wine down and standing up.

Fitz breathed a sigh of relief. "...Thank you, master." he said.

In another moment, his head rolled to the foot of the throne. Agile sheathed his bloody sword and kicked the body away. He snickered as he snatched up his wine and paced. "So, Iris is as strong as X and Zero..." he murmured, taking a sip every few steps. "And they have HUMANS helping them?! How wonderful! This is going to be so much fun! I'd better go and see how the new recruits are doing!"

Agile left his room and walked through his fortress. It had once been an abandoned factory in the heart of Siberia, but his Mavericks and he had fashioned it into quite a formidable citadel. It had to be well-built for what Agile had planned.

He stepped into an elevator and rode it down several floors to a laboratory. This part of the fortress was always kept warm, for there was a very special guest working there.

Agile walked down the lab's main aisle came to three large goo-filled capsules. Faint figures floated inside of them, but the glass was so fogged up that no details could be seen. Agile watched the objects float, marvelling at what the modern technology could do.

"Ah, mister Agile. A pleasure to see you visit," a husky voice said from nearby.

A slender, beautiful human woman scientist sauntered up to him. She had flowing, dark-brown hair, long, smooth legs and a bust that threatened to bust the buttons on her shirt at any moment. "Are you here to see the new soldiers?" she asked, her tone of voice inviting and seductive.

Agile turned and grinned. "Indeed, Dr. Golgi," he said. "Now that Iris has the ingredients, we need to launch an offensive immediately. What can you tell about these?"

Golgi smiled sensually. "You get right down to business, hmm?..." she said. "Very well..."

She turned to a computer and started hitting buttons. "Throughout their two hundred years, many have tried... Sigma, Gate, Lumine... Many have tried, but nobody has ever been able to defeat Mega Man X or Zero... Iris has only begun to fight, but she grows stronger with each battle... Soon she will be as powerful as the others."

"Eh?" Agile asked. "You talk like we're already beaten! And what kinds of soldiers are these?! You never answered the question!"

Golgi smiled cruelly. "I was getting to that," she whispered, hitting one last button. "These deities among Reploids are powerful, but they have one weakness..."

The fog on the machines dissipated and Agile gazed at their contents. Instantly he broke into peals of giddy laughter.

* * *

"All right, then..." Smith said as he adjusted his glasses and turned back to the Maverick Hunters. "I've completed the analyses on the stuff you found. All I can say is that I'm glad you guys got it back!"

"Whatcha got for us, prof?" Sharon asked. "Is all that DNA good for something?"

"In a way," Smith said. He hit some buttons and a huge schematic appeared on the iMarc screen, depicting little double-helix shapes and plenty of letters and numbers.

Sharon stared hard, but couldn't make heads or tails of it. "...Translation, please?" she finally admitted.

"This is DNA from over fifty Reploids from over a hundred years ago," Smith explained. "Now, as you probably know, Reploid DNA can be used to revive dead Reploids, or to power up others. Also, this is the part of a Reploid that is mutated when a viral infestation happens."

"Yeah, I remember learning that..." X replied. "But why did Agile want it?"

Smith pointed to part of the screen depicting the double-helixes. "Look there," he said. "Of these fifty DNA samples, a third of them are totally infected with a virus, another third are only partially infected, and the rest are healthy."

"Is that so?" Snake Man asked. "There must have been something going around..."

"It was the Sigma Virus!" Sharon huffed. "Duh!"

"Exactly," Smith replied. "But these DNA are strange; the Sigma Virus didn't stop until it infected everything, not just bits and pieces of DNA..." He scratched his chin. "There are medical techniques that stop growth of human DNA; everything going on in it freezes, right in the middle of what it was doing! I think someone did the same thing to this Reploid DNA..."

"Yeah, but why?" Iris asked. "I mean, it's not all that useful, is it?"

"Only to a biologist," Snake Man piped up. "Having DNA in these three stages of viral infection is like having a blueprint for how the virus affects the DNA. See? You have the beginning, the middle and the end."

"Ah, yes..." Zero agreed. "I see..."

"But why Agile wanted this, I have no idea. The Sigma Virus in all of it is dead, so he couldn't use it..."

"Well, how about our thing, professor?" Darren asked. "Could you learn anything from it?"

Smith frowned. "Indeed I did..." he said. "You were right; this hunk of armor is rank with a virus."

"Yeah..." Iris agreed. "That's why Snake Man and I couldn't touch it. It must have had the Sigma Virus..."

Smith looked at her. "No..." he said. "Not the Sigma Virus..."

"No?" X asked. "What other energy could it be, then?"

Smith hit some buttons, and an image of the metal chunk appeared on screen, along with a picture of a familiar Reploid. Iris's eyes widened in shock. Zero lowered his gaze.

"This virus is the Zero Virus," Smith said. "This is the purest form of the refined Evil Energy... It's what was originally contained within Zero. This piece of metal... is a piece of him."

"A piece of...?" Sharon trailed off, looking at Zero. "That can't be right! He's all there!"

"It must have come off of me when I battled Sigma a long time ago..." Zero replied. "I was gravely injured..."

"Well, whatever happened then," Smith continued. "It's good that Agile didn't get this. The virus is still active."

"Yeah, that would explain all the dead Reploids back there..." Darren sighed.

"Yes," Smith said. "Now, we've collected the three things that Agile was after... I'm worried... He might try to attack the museum to get them back."

"Let 'im try!" Sharon laughed, making a fist. "We'll womp 'im so bad he'll have BLACK eyes!"

"Don't be too confident, Sharon," X warned. "Agile was clever before. I don't doubt he's the same now..."

"He may be smart," Iris said, "but I bet we can stop him if we work together! My question, though, is why he wants this stuff in the first place. Evil Energy, DNA samples and a virus... There HAS to be a connection!... What do you think, Zero?"

Zero didn't answer. He leaned against the wall with his arms folded and his face in a dark frown, staring at the iMarc screen. Iris approached him. "...Are you OK?" she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine..." he replied. "I'm just... absorbing the situation."

"We've gotta lock this stuff down," Darren said. "No telling when Agile will come after it!"

"Agreed," Smith said as he dropped the objects into a steel box and locked it. "I'll take these down to the storage room, and-"

Just then, the monitor fizzed and crackled, and the images distorted into static.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Sharon asked.

"Are we being hacked again?" Snake Man asked.

"...It's him," Zero simply said.

"Who?" Iris asked. "Agile?"

The static left the screen, and the familiar face of Agile appeared. He laughed his annoying, high-pitched laugh. "Greetings, Maverick Hunters!" he said. "My, my, it looks like you've been busy!"

"Agile!" X shouted. "Whatever you're doing, stop it! This world's at peace!"

"Peace, eh?" Agile asked. "Well, I never really cared for that much... Anyway! As glad as you are about grabbing what I was going after... There was one more thing! So sorry!"

"What?!" Darren asked. "You said you were only going after TWO things!"

"Indeed I did!" Agile said. "But you really shouldn't trust people so easily!" He laughed giddily.

"All right, then..." Iris said, approaching the monitor. "What do you want from us now?"

"Nothing much, really, my dear!" Agile laughed, holding up a small metallic capsule. "This last thing is so strong, I don't even NEED the other things! Well, I just thought I'd call and say that it was nice knowing you! Goodbye, Iris!" He laughed again, and the transmission faded.

"Dammit!!!" Sharon yelled. "Get back here, you bastard!!!"

"Whatever that is, we'd better go and get it!" Iris said. "Professor, can you track that transmission?"

"Right on it!" Smith said as he raced back to the computer and typed furiously. The map appeared and a red dot started flashing over the southwestern United States. "I'm picking up a Maverick signal from a mine in the Rocky Mountains!" he reported. "I bet it's Agile!"

"What could he be doing in the mountains?..." X asked.

"Can you think of anything, Darren?..." Iris asked as she turned to him.

Darren was deathly pale. "...I know what that was..." he said quietly.

"What?" she asked. "The thing Agile had?"

"It was a Seismic Disruptor Bomb..." he said. "They've never been used by anyone, because they're the most devastating weapons ever..."

"Yeah, the United Nations witnessed some French scientists test one... And right after, every country there signed an agreement to never use them," Smith continued, his face also grim.

"And setting one off deep under that spot..." Darren said, staring at the map, "would trigger an earthquake strong enough to tear this continental plate in half..."

Iris put her hands to her mouth. "Oh, my God..." she gasped.

X and Snake Man had similar responses; even Zero had a concerned look. "...Woah..." was all Sharon could say.

"You guys had better get there, and fast!" Smith said. "I'll plug in the coordinates. All of you, get moving!"

The Hunters dashed out of the lab for the teleporter, but Sharon suddenly stumbled and fell on her face. "Ooofff!!!" she grunted. "What the hell?!"

"...Welcome to my world," Darren said, helping her up.

Iris turned back. "Are you all right?" she asked.

Sharon glanced down at her stocking feet and gulped in surprise. "Oh, yeah!" she exclaimed. "We've gotta to and get our weapons back from Olson!"

"We'll catch up!" Darren added as they took off the other direction. "Geez, Sharon, you're way shorter without your leg armor..."

Iris nodded and ran after the others. "(I just hope we make it in time...)" she thought.

* * *

A quick hop in the teleporter, and Iris and company found themselves looking up at the majestic Rocky Mountains. The tall, stone spires jutted up into a clear blue sky as a crisp, cool breeze blew over them. It was truly a beautiful sight.

"What a shame," X said as he readied his X-Buster. "If we weren't trying to stop a madman, I'd take it in longer."

"Iris! Can you hear me?" Professor Smith's voice crackled.

Iris raised her arm and her communicator popped up. "Loud and clear, professor," she replied. "Where do we go?"

"There's an abandoned mine about a hundred yards from you," Smith reported. "All my data says that Agile is there. Go and stop that bomb!"

The Hunters didn't need any more motivation; they dashed through a small, rocky pathway until they saw a hole in the side of a mountain. It was bordered by a rotted, wooden frame with a tiny broken lamp dangling above it.

"Well, he did say it was abandoned..." Snake Man remarked as they started in.

Suddenly, a yell from behind caught their attention. They whirled around as Darren and Sharon came running up the path. They collapsed in front of their friends, panting and gasping.

"Hey, guys!" Iris said, grinning. "Glad you got here so quickly."

"Sorry about that..." Darren panted. "...But we're here now."

Zero frowned, but turned back to the dark mine. "We'd better hurry," he said, disappearing into the darkness.

"Sheesh! He forgets his pals so quickly," Sharon chuckled, lighting her finger again. "Come on, everyone!"

The six Hunters ran though a long, winding tunnel with seemingly no end. When they came to forks in the path, Smith would direct them down the right route. Oddly enough, no Mavericks attacked them on their way. In fact, the whole place was as quiet as a tomb.

"You'd think Agile would have more security around a bomb like this..." X said to Zero as they walked.

"Yes... You would," Zero agreed, his frown not leaving.

"It IS kind of odd, isn't it?" Iris asked. "I would have thought there would be loads of soldiers!"

"Maybe they all got scared and ran off?" Sharon asked. "This is a pretty big bomb, you know."

"Come to think of it..." Snake Man piped up. "If it's such a strong bomb, why did he tell us he was going to use it?... He practically gave away the coordinates..."

"The bomb signature is up ahead!" Smith announced. "I hope we're not too late!"

Sharon's light picked out a small, shiny object on the ground; it looked just like the thing that Agile had shown them at the museum. "Agh! There it is!" she cried out.

"Everybody get back!" Darren warned as he stepped ahead of Zero. "I've studied these things in college... I think I can disarm it!"

"Well, go to it!" X said. "Quick!"

Darren nervously dropped to his knees in front of the bomb and looked it over. It didn't hum, or flash, or beep. In fact, it seemed as if it wasn't even activated. He watched it a few seconds longer, but nothing happened. He sat on his knees and gave a confused harrumph.

"What's wrong?" Iris asked. "Is it...?"

"...It doesn't even look turned on..." He said. "...I don't think anybody activated it!..."

Everyone looked at each other. "...Meaning..." X started.

"If it's not on, it won't go off!" Darren said. "It's not going to explode!"

Snake Man, Sharon and Iris all breathed deep sighs of relief, but X and Zero were still suspicious. "I don't get it," X said. "Why would Agile lead us all the way down here for a bomb he didn't even turn on?"

"Who cares?" Darren asked, reaching for the bomb. "Let's just get this out of here and-"

Zero's eyes widened. "No, wait!!!" he yelled.

As soon as Darren's fingers poked the bomb, it sprang to life. The small timer on its top displayed the numbers 0:05.

"Touch-activated!" Zero snarled. "That lousy...!"

"Five seconds?!" Darren screeched. "I... I can't do anything in five seconds!!!"

Time slowed as the clock changed to 0:04. Then 0:03. 0:02... 0:01...

"NO-O-O-O-O!!!" Iris screamed. Everyone made futile attempts to shield themselves.

0:00.

The bomb gave a little hiccup, and split apart. A tiny little rubber duck shot out of it and gave a cute squeak.

Everyone slowly took their hands away from their faces and looked. "...Huh?!" they asked simultaneously.

"...A dud?" Snake Man asked.

"...A dud," Darren confirmed.

"Whew!" Sharon wheezed, wiping sweat from her brow. "We're OK!!!"

"Why would Agile put a dud bomb down here..." Iris asked, scratching her chin.

"An obvious dare to find the bomb, no soldiers, and the bomb being a dud..." X started to say. "Put it all together and it sounds like-"

X didn't get to finish his sentence. The ground beneath the Hunters exploded and all six plummeted screaming into darkness.

* * *

"Unhhh..." Iris moaned, opening her eyes. She seemed to be in a large, dark room in the mine. Old, rotted support beams hung above their heads and old crates were piled up in several corners. A strange, purple gas drifted lazily near the ground.

She got up and looked around; Darren lay unconscious nearby. She nervously edged her way over to him. "Darren?..." she whispered, shaking him a little. "Are you all right?"

"Arrrgh..." Darren muttered, his eyes fluttering open. "I... Iris?... Oogh..."

"Easy, now," she said, helping him into a sitting position. "Are you hurt?"

Darren felt himself over, then got to his feet. "Just a bit bruised," he replied. Suddenly, he got really angry and made a fist. "Aggh! What a cheap trick, setting up a dud bomb! That was NOT funny!"

"No argument there..." Iris replied. "Agile has a sick sense of humor."

"Speaking of senses..." he said, glancing around the room. "Do you have any idea where we are?"

"I don't know," she replied. "We must have fallen into another part of the mine, and got separated from the others..." She tapped at her communicator, but all she got was static. "...I can't call the professor, either..." she sighed.

"And to top it off, there's all this weird, purple fog..." Darren commented, noticing the haze around his knees. "What d'you think that is?"

"It sort of looks like the haze we saw in the Eurasia Colony," Iris commented. "But I don't feel very cold, like in there... It couldn't be the Zero Virus..."

"No, not the Zero Virus..." Darren said. "But... Wasn't there another virus with this color?"

Iris and Darren glanced at each other worriedly. "...The Sigma Virus!" Iris cried. "Oh, my God! Agile's trying to turn us into Mavericks!!!"

"Well, you and the Reploids, at least..." Darren gulped. "You'll probably just kill me."

Iris sucked in her breath and her cheeks swelled. After thirty seconds, though, she couldn't hold her breath any longer and had to exhale. "Oh, no..." she gasped.

"Wait a second..." Darren objected. "You can't become a Maverick! You have the failsafe program, remember?"

Iris stopped panicking and scratched her head. Darren had a point; Professor Smith had installed a chip inside of her to prevent her from succumbing to the Sigma Virus again. "Oh... Yes, I forgot!" she said, breathing hard. "But... This could be another kind of virus too, couldn't it? One that the failsafe can't guard against?..."

"No telling what it is..." Darren replied. "It could be the Sigma Virus, or a new virus entirely... Whatever it is, though, let's get out of here quickly."

"Yes, but where do we go?" Iris asked, looking around. "I have no idea where we are..."

Darren squinted into the darkness; he could see a door-shaped wooden frame at the far end of the room. "...Let's try that way first..." he said, pointing.

"All right..." Iris answered as they started walking. "I just hope the others are all right..."

"I'm sure they're fine," Darren replied. "Sharon's quick on her feet, Snake Man has his grappling hooks, and X and Zero... Well, they're X and Zero! They'll all make it out OK."

Iris smiled at her friend. "Thanks, Darren..." she said.

Suddenly, a figure flashed past them in the darkness. The fog swirled around unnaturally. "Hey!" Iris called out. "Who's there?! Zero? Sharon? This isn't funny!"

The figure stepped out of the shadows. "Hello, Iris," he said coolly. "Good to see you made it."

Iris gasped. The figure before them was their friend X, but he didn't look like he usually did. He wore dark-blue armor covered with spikes that glowed eerily in the purple haze.

"...X?..." she asked. She recalled him once saying that he'd received a powerful armor from some holographic old man. Could this be it?

"My God..." Darren said, astounded. "X, you're..."

"Wearing armor?" X answered. "This is the Ultimate Armor, built to protect against anything and everything. It's a perfect match for me, seeing as how I'm the ultimate Maverick Hunter, after all."

Iris raised an eyebrow. X was kind and humble; he wouldn't usually boast of his strength like this, would he?

"All this power... and looks, too!" he said, flexing one of his arms. "It makes me wonder why Iris goes for that zero Zero instead of me..." He leered crudely over at Iris. "Why is that, Iris?"

"What's going on?" Darren asked. "Are you feeling OK, X?"

"I mean, think about it," X said, advancing on Iris. "I was built with the sole purpose of doing good, but Zero... Don't you know what he is?"

Iris remained silent, fingering her saber with one hand and her gun with the other.

"I'll tell you what he is," he continued. "He's a monster. He's a cold-blooded murderer. He's the most dangerous weapon ever created, and he was built to destroy everything... How could you love someone like that?!" He had an accusing tone to his voice.

"X... you're scaring me," Iris said, backing up. "What's wrong?"

X swooped at her, a sick grin on his face. She fired a barrage from her I-buster and drove him back a bit. "Keep your distance!" she warned.

"You obviously don't know what this armor can do!" he laughed as two wings shot out of his back. He flew forward in a tremendous burst of energy and blew Iris back into a wall. He grinned and charged towards her again. She yanked out her I-Saber and swung it, but he quickly kicked it from her hands, grabbed her and forced her down into the dirt.

"X, lemme go!!!" she demanded. "What's gotten into you?!"

"Now I'm gonna get something I've been wanting for years!" he said, grabbing Iris's shirt and pulling. Iris struggled, but his grip was too strong.

Suddenly, though, he vanished from her line of vision. She sat up and looked around; he was pinned to the floor in a tight, sparking net. Darren stood in front of her, his arm cannon smoking. He had used his new Lightning Web weapon just in time.

"Sorry, X, but you didn't leave me much choice!" Darren said. He glanced at Iris, his eyes widened and he blushed deeply. "...Yikes!" he said. "Sorry!"

"Heh?" Iris asked, looking down. X had torn a large hole through both her armor and sub-armor in a rather awkward place. She gave a small yelp and covered it with her hand, her face going beet red. "X! How could you?!" she shouted at him. "What's gotten into you?!"

"Something bad," Darren gulped. "This haze must have infected him..."

"You..." X growled as he struggled again. "You sided with Sigma... You're not just shallow; you're a traitor!" Straining angrily, he rose to his feet. His armor flashed three times, and the electric gunk fizzled away, setting him free. He looked at Iris with murder in his eyes. "You didn't deserve to be brought back!" he yelled.

"OK, that's it!" Darren growled as he stepped in front of Iris and readied his cannon. "Now you've gone too far, X!!!" With a loud war cry, he charged head-first at the fallen hero. Iris called out to him to stop, but he would hear none of it.

"Heh! Bring it, stupid human!" X laughed as he activated his wings and flew straight at Darren. The two raced towards each other at breakneck speed in a dangerous man-on-machine game of chicken. Iris bit her nails in panic; even with the shield vest, Darren wouldn't survive an impact of the magnitude X could dish out.

They ran even closer, neither one willing to flinch. Suddenly, Darren's feet collided with each other and he fell on his face. X sailed right over him and crashed into the far wall, sending out a huge plume of dust and rock. When it cleared, he was stuck in the wall in a position of surprised agony, almost like a cartoon character.

"Ooogh..." Darren groaned as he picked himself up. "I was counting on that... Iris, now's your chance!!!"

Iris nodded and fired at X's back. At the last second, though, he pulled away from the wall and launched himself right on top of her, slamming her into the ground again.

"Agh! No, X! Get away!!!" she screamed, but he held on to her arms with an iron grip, her torn armor revealing all.

X leaned in close to her and gave an evil grin. "The hero always gets the girl in the end," he whispered. He glanced down and gave an aroused growl at what he saw.

Iris realized that she only had one chance left. "Darren, HELP!!!" she shouted.

"I'm coming! Hold on!!!" Darren yelled as he ran at X, his gun ready. "Get your hands off of her, you-"

X raised his leg and kicked. Caught totally by surprise, Darren took it directly in the chest and sailed backwards, colliding into the same wall Iris had. He slumped to the ground and didn't move.

"Darren!!!" Iris cried.

"Now, then..." X said, turning back to his prey. "You're all out of options. You might as well enjoy where this is going!"

Unable to do anything else, Iris dug her nails into the ground, shut her eyes and waited.

All she heard was X gurgling. She looked up to see his face frozen in surprise, and then he fell over in a heap next to her, a huge hole through his chest. She looked down and saw that they had landed right where her I-Saber had landed; she had knocked it upwards and into him at the last moment.

X's body twitched and writhed, then slowed to a halt. Trails of the purple vapor began to rise up from his joints. All was silent. Instinctively, Iris gave a yelp and scooted away from the body.

Darren slowly got to his feet and rubbed at his arm. "Owowowowowow..." he groaned. "I think I might have sprained something..." Just then, he saw the body and his friend nearby and lurched towards her. "Iris! Are you all right?" he asked.

With terrified eyes, Iris looked over the fallen Reploid, her body starting to feel hot all over. She shook her head furiously, still unable to accept what had just happened. "X... Why?!..." she panted. "What... What have I done?!"

"It sounded like... he had a thing for you..." Darren replied, hobbling over and sitting down next to her. "From what I've read, the Sigma Virus makes Reploids act on their worst impulses..."

"No... No!..." she whispered, tears starting to form in her eyes. "This can't be happening... This CAN'T be happening!"

Darren, not knowing what else to do, put a protective hand on her shoulder. "You did what you had to..." he said.

"But I... I just killed one of my best friends!..." Iris gasped, freely crying now. "What am I going to tell everyone?! What am I going to tell Zero?!" She put her face in her hands and sobbed.

"Iris..." Darren said. It was all he really could say.

"He was always so nice to me..." she choked. "I didn't know he liked me THAT way!... And that stupid virus... It made him do this!... Oh, X, I'm sorry!!!"

"The virus..." Darren said, suddenly realizing that they were sitting in the haze. "Oh, man! Iris, we've gotta get out of here, quick! This stuff could make YOU go nuts, too!!!"

Iris had collapsed back into a crying frenzy and didn't hear a word that Darren said.

Suddenly, Iris's communicator buzzed. "Iris! Are you there? Can you hear me?!" a familiar voice called.

Darren looked down at Iris's arm with a surprised look. "...Is that...?!" he asked. "Iris! Your communicator!"

"Oh, let it ring!..." she blubbered. "I don't wanna talk to anyone right now..."

"Iris! Come in, please!" the voice called again. "Are you all right?!"

"I really think you should answer that," Darren pressed.

"Oh... All right..." Iris sniffled, opening her communicator; there was nothing but static. "H-hello?..." she asked.

"Iris?" the voice asked. "Is that you? Please respond!"

She looked at the communicator again and her eyes widened. "W-wha?! A-are you...?!" she gasped.

* * *

"Hmmm..." Snake Man murmured as he stared hard at the purple mist drifting around him. He waved his hand through it and it dispersed easily. "I'm going to collect a sample of this," he said out loud, "though I don't think it's any sort of virus; it moves like a regular gas."

"Got it," X called back as he put his ear to his helmet again. "Hello? Iris, can you hear me?"

"X?!" Iris's shaky voice came through. "X, i-is that really you?!"

X was a bit confused. "Yes, this is X," he said. "I'm sorry I couldn't call earlier; there was something jamming your frequency. Are you all right?"

"What?!" Iris cried. "B-but I j-just..."

"Snake Man and I landed somewhere in the lower levels," he said. "We don't know where we are, and there's a lot of purple fog floating around..."

"Yeah, I'm here too!" Snake Man called. "Don't forget about me!"

There was a pause on the line. "...Iris?" he asked again.

"X, this is Darren," Darren's voice came in. "Sorry about that; Iris is a bit shaken up at the moment... She and I are here together; we're in some other part of the mine, with the same kind of fog."

"Have you heard from Zero yet?" X asked. "We haven't been able to reach him."

"No, not yet..." Darren answered. "But something really weird just happened; we just got attacked!"

"Attacked?" X asked. "There are Mavericks down here?!"

"Seems like it," Darren replied. "But the weird part was..." He grew silent.

X waited anxiously. "The weird part was what?"

This time, it was Iris's voice on the end. "X..." she said. "...It was you."

X 's eyes widened. "What?" he asked.

"It was you..." she repeated. "You... You attacked us..."

"...Iris..." X said, trying to fathom what she could mean. "I've been here the whole time! How could I have attacked you?"

The line was silent.

X scratched his head; Iris seemed pretty freaked out, and probably wouldn't say much more. "...Listen, Iris," he said. "Snake Man and I are going to try and find you guys. We're on our way now. Stay put, OK?"

"...OK..." Iris said quietly.

X ended the transmission and turned to Snake Man. "Well, that was weird," he said. "Iris says that I attacked her."

"Why would she think that?" Snake Man asked, scratching his head.

"No idea..." X replied before putting his hand to his helmet again. "Hmm... I'm picking up two signatures on my radar: one Reploid and one human. Both of them are a bit east of us."

"That must be them," Snake Man said. "Let's go and regroup."

They started out of the large room, but suddenly a red Reploid leaped down from the rafters and blocked their way. His back was turned to them, but he still looked very familiar. One strange feature about him, though, was that he lacked his usual square shoulder pads and melee weapon. He also was missing his usual gold trim around his ankle and collar armor.

X eyed the figure hard. "...Zero?" he asked.

Zero whipped around with a malicious gleam in his eye. He rushed towards the pair, screeching a battle cry and swinging his fists. X yelped in alarm, leaping out of the way of the blow. Zero whirled around, swung his mighty leg and knocked him to the ground.

"Zero, what's the deal?!" Snake Man yelled. Zero's response was another swift kick, and Snake Man collided with a wall.

X grabbed Zero by the foot, swung him around and tossed him into a pile of crates. "Zero! What's wrong? Why are you doing this?!" he asked.

Zero lunged out from the crates with murder in his eye. With another bloodthirsty shriek, he punched and kicked at X with such ferocity that the blue Reploid was forced to leap to the rotting, wooden rafters above.

"Whew..." he panted as he landed and had a few brief seconds to mop his brow. Zero leaped onto the wall and bounded to another rafter, ready to assault him again. He readied his X-buster and leapt into the air, firing at the menace behind him. Zero easily dodged the blasts and kicked his arm so hard he whirled around a full half-circle. He crashed to the ground, and Zero lunged upon him with a leer of psychotic glee.

After thirty solid seconds of beating, X fell to the floor, aching all over and blood trickling from his lip. He moaned and looked at Zero with his two black eyes. "Zero... Why are you doing this?!..." he asked.

Zero grabbed X's head with both hands and began to pull. "Why am I doing this?" he mocked, glowering at X. "Because it's what I was born to do!"

"Get off him, you!!!" a voice yelled, and Zero fell off of X. X struggled to his feet and looked around. Zero was backing away, every so often tilting his head this way and that and grunting in pain. X was confused; what was happening?

"Agh!" Zero grunted as he sailed backwards and banged his head on a post, instantly going unconscious. The air nearby flashed, and Snake Man reappeared.

"Woah!" X exclaimed. "Snake Man?!"

"Did you forget about my Chameleon Sting?" Snake Man asked, smiling at X. "I'm not just a lab rat, you know."

X grinned and nodded. "Right," he said. "Come on, let's take him!"

"But that's Zero!" Snake Man protested. "Isn't he your friend?"

X frowned at Zero, who was starting to groan and stir. "There's something about him..." he said. "He's not acting like usual, and where's his sword?... Snake Man, do you think this could have something to do with Iris thinking that I attacked her?"

"Maybe..." Snake Man replied. "But we need more information..."

Suddenly, Zero's eyes snapped open and he leaped back on his feet. With another ferocious snarl, he charged at the Hunters.

"Looks like we'll have to get it later!" X said. "Come on!"

With doubt in his mind, but unwilling to see his friend get hurt, Snake Man ran alongside X as they charged at the rampaging Zero.

* * *

Zero eyes opened and he sat up. He was lying in a large, underground room with earthen walls, rotted wooden support beams and piles of crates in the corners. It looked like a storage area for mining equipment.

He muttered to himself as he got to his feet, cursing himself for not deducing that the bomb was phony earlier. He glanced around, wondering where he was, as well as everyone else. Instantly his mind went to Iris. Was she all right? And what about X? Surely he would have survived, but...

Zero put his hand to his helmet and tried his communicator. "Iris, hello!" he called, hoping to reach her. He got no response. "...X, do you copy?" he tried. There was nothing but silence.

As his mind started to worry, he glanced down and almost jumped in surprise; Sharon lay on the floor next to him. Her eyes were shut, but she was breathing. Relieved that he had at least found somebody, Zero knelt down beside her. "Sharon?.. Sharon, Wake up," he said, nudging her gently.

"Erghhh..." Sharon muttered, groggily sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Hey, what's the deal?" she asked angrily. "I was having the nicest dream!... Agh!" She rubbed the back of her neck; it was surprisingly bruised. "What hit me?..." she groaned.

"...Sorry," Zero said, helping her stand up. "The bomb was a dud, and then the floor gave away..."

Sharon scratched her head, then remembered. "Yeah?... Oh, yeah, the bomb!" she recalled. "Damn it all! I'd like a few words with the jerk who decided THAT!" She looked around at the room. "...Where are we, anyway?" she asked.

"I don't have the faintest idea..." Zero replied. "We must be deep within the mines... Even worse, I can't contact Iris or X..."

Sharon tried her own communicator, but got the same results. "Geez..." she fumed. "We walked right into it, didn't we?!"

"It seems so..." he answered, glancing around. His eyes picked out a doorway on the far side of the room. "But there's no sense standing here grumbling. Let's try to find the others."

"No argument there, Z," she replied. "Let's get moving!"

The two had only gone a few feet when a Reploid stepped into the doorway. She had choclate-brown hair, a red and blue skirt and a red beret, and a sad expression on her face. Zero and Sharon both looked surprised.

"I-Iris?!" Zero asked.

"Hey!" Sharon said happily. "You're OK! Awesome!"

Iris heaved a sad sigh. "Zero..." she said in practically a whisper.

Zero walked over to her and their eyes met; Sharon hovered nearby. "Iris..." he said. "Are you all right?"

"Zero..." Iris whispered. "I... I..."

Zero gave a concerned look; she sounded very upset. "What's wrong?" he asked in a softer tone, putting his arm on her shoulder.

She sniffled a bit. "I... I..."

Suddenly, her expression changed from sad to angry. With lightning speed, she slapped his hand and pushed him away. "I hate you!!!" she yelled.

Sharon's mouth dropped open. Zero recoiled in surprise. "Wh-what?" he asked.

"You're nothing but a murderer!" she screamed. "I'll never forgive you!!!"

"Woah!" Sharon exclaimed. "Chill out, Iris! What's eating you?!"

"I know what you really are..." she went on, staring the red Reploid down. "How you started everything, how you went along pretending you didn't know, and how you dragged all of us into your sick wars!"

"But..." Zero stammered, so badly in shock that he was unable to utter much.

"You dragged me out of Repliforce to come and spot for you during the Erasure Incident..." she went on. "Then you started a war with Repliforce, even though you KNEW you didn't have to!"

"But..." Zero tried again, his brain racing frantically for something to say, and again finding nothing.

"You played with my feelings!" she snarled, her eyes burning into him. "You got close to me to get my brother off of his guard, and then you stabbed him in the back like the cold-blooded killer you are!"

"Iris..." he tried a third time, the sting of her words starting to stab into him.

"You took him away from me!" she yelled. "You took away the only family I had! And then you killed ME! And I'm supposed to forgive you so easily?!"

Zero was so flustered by the barrage of rage that Iris was spouting, he had to take a step back. "I..." he started.

"Let me spell it out for you, Zero!" she hollared, her voice rising in pitch with each syllable. "YOU RUINED MY LIFE!!!"

Zero was down on one knee now, clutching his head and panting hard. "Iris... Please... No... I never meant... any of it..." he choked.

"Zero!" Sharon barked, shaking his shoulder a bit. "Get a grip, man!"

"The only reason I brought you back was so I could finally settle my score!" she growled. "And that's gonna happen right here, right now!"

She produced a dark, purple crystal. It flashed and sparked with a violent energy in the dark mine. "Remember this?" she hissed. "I'm sure you do!"

"What's that?" Sharon asked. "What're you up to?"

"No..." Zero gasped, reaching out for her again. "Iris... Please, don't do this again..."

The crystal floated up above her, and a giant, winged purple mech appeared. Iris climbed up into it and slammed the head shut. The huge machine floated about a foot off the ground and bore its weaponry; a giant cannon and an iron knuckle. "You destroyed me... It's time to return the favor!" her voice boomed.

The mech's cannon launched a titanic violet laser beam. "Ahhh! Look out, Z!" Sharon yelled, shoving Zero out of the death ray's path and into some nearby crates. The huge blast tore a hole through the wall and the whole mine shook violently.

Zero panted hard as Sharon and he climbed out of the mess. "Iris..." was all he said.

"Ugh... That thing's got some kick!" Sharon snorted. "How do we take it down, Zero?... Zero?"

Zero was just standing there, a confused, sad look on his face. "Is... Is she right?..." he asked. "X tells me, and I tell myself... that it wasn't my fault, but... Was it?... Did I... Did I ruin her life?..."

"Of course it was!" Iris yelled, her cannon charging again. "And now it's time for your atonement!!!"

Sharon got angry. "Hello-o-o! Earth to Zero!" she growled. "We're gonna be Kentucky-fried unless we find that thing's weak point, and- YAAAHHH!!!"

Sharon once again shoved Zero out of the way as the purple ray blew past. The mech made some frustrated guestures.

"Come ON, Zero!" Sharon yelled. "Snap out of it!!!"

"She... She wants to kill me..." Zero murmured. "I don't want to hurt her again... Don't want to kill her again..."

"Trust me, Zero," Sharon growled. "That AIN'T the Iris you fell in love with!"

Zero wasn't responding to her fiery attitude, so she decided to take a different approach. "...Look, if we can get her out of the mech, there's a chance we can pin her and calm her down..." she said in a softer voice. "Maybe then she'll talk to you... But first we have to get that mech out of business. Do you know its weak spot?"

"You're working my LAST nerve, wench!" Iris growled as the mech approached. "I think I'll just off you before the main event!"

Sharon moved away from Zero and gave the mech a sassy grin. "I'd like to see ya try!" she laughed. "Come on!"

The mech lurched forward and threw a punch. Sharon leaped over it, landed on the arm and punched at it furiously, but didn't do any damage. She bounced up and furiously tried to kick off the head, but had no luck. Iris, tired of playing around, raised her cannon and fired another blast right at Sharon. She tried to dodge, but the ray caught her shoulder and knocked her to the ground. She groaned as her armor sparked; she could feel her shoulder starting to bleed, and it hurt pretty badly.

"So... Is that all?" Iris growled as the mech's cannon pointed right at Sharon's head.

Sharon thought fast. Didn't Olson just give her a new weapon? Well, now was as good a time as any to try it.

"Nope!" she answered the mech. "Still got one more trick up my sleeve! HYAH!!!"

Before Iris could reach, Sharon slid under the mech and delivered a powerful kick to its legs. Instantly they were encased in thick ice. Iris yelled with frustration as she tried to move her mech, but with no luck.

"Awesome!" Sharon laughed as she leaped to her feet, pumping her fists. "I think I'll call that my Frost Kick attack!"

Just then, Sharon became aware of someone standing next to her. She looked and saw Zero, his Z-Saber at the ready. "...Zero?" she asked.

"...Its weakness is the crystal she summoned it with," he said simply. "It's inside the cannon."

"...Are you sure?" she said.

Zero nodded. "...Let's shut this thing down," he replied.

Sharon grinned. "Got it!" she replied. The two Hunters converged on the giant cannon.

"No! NO!!!" Iris yelled.

Sharon's S-Buster launched a powerful volley of fireballs into the cannon's mouth. Iris gave a loud yell and tried to break from the ice with even more force. She still couldn't move.

Zero walked up to the mech and stared at it hard. "Iris, I'm a Maverick Hunter..." he said. "It's my job... my life... to stop Mavericks... be they mortal enemies or the dearest of friends..."

With that, he thrust his blade as far in as it could go. The sound of shattering glass was heard, and the mech twitched and shut down entirely.

"Take five, sister!" Sharon growled, offering Zero a high-five. "That's how it's done!"

Zero looked at Sharon, then turned away. "...Let's pull her out," he said, walking towards the mech.

"Heh!" Sharon snorted. "Awright, awright! I'm coming!"

Zero started to climb the mech, but the head snapped off on its own. When Iris emerged and dropped down to the ground, she looked totally different. Instead of looking angry or sad, she looked... aroused.

"Hmmm..." she said in a low voice, giving Zero a lusty grin. "Zero... If you do other things as well as you fight, then I'm going to enjoy this!..."

Zero stopped and blinked a few times. "...Iris?" he asked questioningly.

Sharon raised a confused eyebrow. "Heh?" she asked. "Weren't you just tryin' to kill us?"

"I was just playing around..." Iris chuckled. "Had to get Zero more willing, you know..."

"'More willing?...'" Zero asked.

"You know that's what she really thinks," she said, shrugging casually. "Why else would she prefer that human's company over you?..."

"'She?'" Sharon asked, frowning. "OK, spill it! You're not Iris, are ya?!"

"Iris" laughed daintily. "Well, I AM Iris..." she started. "...But I'm NOT Iris, too."

"Iris, and yet not Iris..." Zero repeated, frowning and fingering his Z-Saber. "...A clone."

"Heh... Smart AND sexy..." "Iris" crooned. "I love it! Now, you don't mind if I slip into something more comfortable, do you?"

She grabbed at her shirt collar and pulled; instantly the entire outfit tore off. Underneath she wore satin red, tight-fitting, leotard-like armor that lifted and separated where it counted. A long, shining rapier rested in a hilt on its side. She knocked the beret from her head with a light gesture and bent over to give the armor's full effect.

Zero tried hard not to look. "...Who are you?" he asked.

The Reploid giggled. "Call me Rose," she said. "For like one, I am as sensuous as I am delicate."

Sharon made a face. "Oh, barf," she muttered. "Speak like a regular person!"

"I know all about you, Zero," Rose purred, sauntering towards Zero. "Your past has been full of nothing but loss and heartbreak, hasn't it?... Everything you try to do ends in sorrow..."

Zero said nothing as he suspiciously watched her move around. Sharon, whom she was indifferent to, slipped into a casual battle stance, ready to leap forward at a moment's notice.

"The Maverick Wars, the Repliforce incident, Eurasia..." she continued, turning around and walking away slowly. "You fought so hard through all of them, and yet you wound up even more unhappy than before." She paused and glanced over her shoulder. "...Don't you ever get tired of sticking your neck out and getting nothing in return?"

Zero remained silent. Rose put her hands on her hips and smiled. "I can give you some happiness," she said. "Come with me and I'll give you as much as you want."

Sharon's eyes bugged. "You'd better not be saying what I THINK you're saying..." she growled.

"I would never go anywhere with a Maverick like you," Zero stated. "Least of all anywhere that would hurt my friends."

Rose's eyelids lowered. "Oh, really?..." she asked quietly, moving closer to him. "That's a pretty bold statement, considering what I'm offering..."

She moved even closer and pressed her warm, soft hands on his chest armor; instantly his face went red and he bit his lip. "What..." he started.

"Even if Iris did want to be with you, she would never be as... fun... as I am," Rose persisted, tracing around one of the green gems on his armor with her finger.

With a come-hither grin on her face, her other hand moved lower and massaged his stomach. Zero, completely flustered and paralyzed from the touching, could do nothing. It was as if by touching sensitive spots, Rose had instant control over his body. In the back of his mind, he wondered if this is what happened in a true romance.

"Enjoying yourself?" Rose whispered. "I can go even further..."

Her hand moved from his stomach even lower; Zero's eyes widened and he gave a sort of gurgle. "Shhhh..." she cooed as her other hand wrapped around his neck. His fingers loosened, and his Z-Saber clattered to the ground. Her mouth moved upwards towards his and she closed her eyes...

Just then, a great pain ripped through her hair, and she flew through the air like a sack of potatoes. She crashed down into the dirt. "Wh-what the hell?!" she snarled as she struggled into a sitting stance.

Sharon now stood before Zero, a look of murderous rage in her eyes. A few strands of Rose's hair were clenched in her fist. "Keep away from him!!!" she growled.

"Oh, so that's it, hmm?" Rose muttered as she got to her feet. "You want him, too?"

"Hell no!" Sharon rebuked, shaking her fist. "But you... Throwing yourself on someone else just for lust and pleasure... I HATE people like you!!!" She turned to Zero and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Don't let 'er near you, Z! She's nothing but filth!"

Zero's blush faded and he shook his head. "Argh... Yes... Thank you, Sharon," he said, kneeling down and picking up his Z-Saber. He glared at Rose and held it before him. "I don't fall to such tricks!" he growled. "You misjudge the trust I have in my friends."

Rose made a pouting face. "You just don't know a good thing when you see it..." she said quietly, drawing her rapier; it was a long, sharp laser weapon that glowed an eerie black. "So... If I can't give you the pleasure of your desires, the least I can do is give you the release of death."

Sharon struck a martial arts stance, and Zero brandished his sword. "Bring it!!!" Sharon laughed.

Rose flew at Zero and thrust her rapier at his chest. He blocked the blow and kicked her in the stomach, sending her rolling backwards in the dust. She quickly leaped back on her feet, though, and lunged again, stabbing and slashing every which way; she didn't look it, but she was a very competent fencer. Zero blocked the attacks as best he could, but her stabs got quicker and quicker. Finally, she swung her rapier and knocked him off balance. With a cruel grin, she pointed the blade at his heart again. "Checkmate, my dear," she whispered.

Suddenly, she felt a hard punch and tumbled to the ground, a sensational burning in her jaw. She looked up with fury and saw Sharon bouncing around in front of her, fiery fists raised. "Didja forget about me?!" she huffed.

"Urrrgghhh... We'll see just who's the 'filth' around here!" Rose shouted, getting back on her feet and lunging at Sharon with a dangerous slice. Sharon dodged and hopped around her like a kangaroo, throwing punches every so often to psyche her out.

Rose grew annoyed with the bouncing, swung her rapier and caught Sharon's arm. Sharon winced, but held the deadlock . "So, it appears I have the upper hand..." Rose smirked.

Suddenly, she felt something cold and hard hit her in the chest. She reeled back to find that her upper half had been sealed in a block of ice. Sharon lowered her leg, which still steamed from the Frost Kick. "Slow learner, ain't ya?" she chuckled.

Rose snarled angrily, strained and broke free of the ice. She started forward again, but both Zero's blade and Sharon's fist blocked her path. They had overpowered her.

* * *

Agile threw up his hands in dismay as Golgi and he looked away from a monitor. "Gyaaahhh!" he wailed. "How could they be trashed so easily?!"

"Iris had dumb luck," Golgi replied calmly. "He fell on her saber. He would have killed her if it wasn't for that."

"Talk is cheap!" Agile fumed. "The others have slipped up just as badly!"

Golgi frowned and hit a few buttons on the computer. "You shouldn't doubt my work so easily, master; I have a Master's Degree in DNA science, after all."

Agile sneered. "Is that so?" he asked. "I would have sworn you got that degree by means other than your mind..."

Golgi frowned at him. "That's only half true," she replied. "I knew what I was doing; I just needed to seal the deal."

Agile harrumphed. He didn't like that he had a human working with him, least of all one as liscentious as Golgi. Still, she had a vast knowledge in both human and Reploid genetics, which he needed to carry out his plan. "What else can you tell me about this?" he asked.

"They're absolutely perfect," she replied, brushing a lock of dark hair from her face. "I didn't have any trouble getting samples from Mega Man X and Zero, but Iris took some work... Fortunately, during her battle with Ribosome in Saudi Arabia, she got bloodied up a bit. I sent scouts to the battlefield and they retrieved enough fluid for an accurate sample."

"Oh?" Agile replied. "So how come these ones aren't the dynamic do-gooders that the originals are?"

Golgi winked at him. "There are other ways of making Mavericks, master..." she said. "The labs I used to work in had a small supply of an alien material called Force Metal. I stole it before I left, and installed some of it in each of them, along with a synthetic virus."

"Synthetic?" Agile asked.

"There's no trace left of the Sigma Virus on Earth at this time," Golgi replied. "I had to write a virus that mimicked its programming. In addition to making them fifty percent stronger than the originals, the virus and the Force Metal had the same effect on Reploids as the Sigma Virus..."

"Is that so?" Agile asked with a grin. "Hmm! Perhaps you can acquaint me with some of this metal?"

"Later," Golgi replied, sitting back down and watching the screen. "I've got a surprise for the Hunters just now..."

"Hmmph!" Agile snorted as he sat back down and sipped his wine again. "You certainly know how to keep a fellow in suspense, doctor..."

Golgi gave him a voluptuous smile. "That's what I'm best at, master," she replied.

* * *

"It's over," Zero said, pointing his sword at Rose's throat.

Rose sighed. "You're just doing it again, Zero..." she tried. "Just throwing away another chance at happiness..."

"Shut it!" Sharon snapped. "You lost! Deal with it!"

Rose's eyes narrowed. "Oh, did I...?" she whispered. "You know how to whistle, don't you, tiger?..."

"Whistle?" Zero asked. "What do you mean?"

"Pretty easy, really..." Rose continued as she put her fingers up to her mouth. "You just... put your lips together... and blow."

She took a deep breath and let out a piercing whistle that rocked the entire mine. Zero and Sharon yelled in pain and covered their ears.

Rose ended the whistle and laughed. "Don't worry..." she said calmly. "You'll both be at peace soon enough..."

* * *

X and Snake Man stood side by side, facing down their crazy, red assailant. "Come on, Zero!" X growled. "I'm sure we can resolve this without more violence..."

"No offense, X," Snake Man gulped as he readied his buster. "But he doesn't look like he likes less violence..."

Zero growled angrily and started towards them, when suddenly a high-pitched whistle echoed from the room entrance. His eyes lit up, and he immediately whipped around and ran out the door.

There was an awkward silence. Totally flabbergasted, X and Snake Man lowered their weapons and looked at each other strangely.

"...Wanna follow him?" Snake Man asked.

"...Yeah," X replied.

The two hunters charged out the door.

* * *

"There we go..." Darren said as he applied one last bandage and patted Iris on the back. "I can't fix that tear just now, but at least you're decent now."

Iris sighed. She was grateful that Darren had some spare bandages that she used to cover up the rip in her armor, but she was still very upset about what she had just done. Without response, she simply stared at the floor.

Darren sighed sadly; she was starting to worry him. Just then, though, his ears perked up as a whistle resounded from somewhere else in the mine. "Iris, did you hear that?" he asked.

She looked up and listened. "What... do you think that is?" she asked.

"It could be Snake Man and X calling for us," he replied, tugging at her arm. "Come on, let's go!"

"No, wait..." she sighed, resisting the pull. "What if I actually DID kill X, and that call was a trick?..."

Darren frowned. Iris was still pretty shocked about what had happened; even X's phone call hadn't restored her vigor. Perhaps she was just realizing now how awful these Maverick battles could get, he thought.

"What if it was all a trick?" Iris asked. "Maybe it was just an illusion... Maybe I've already gone Maverick..."

"OK, that's it!" Darren huffed, making Iris jump a little. "I know you're upset, but don't dump your senses so easily!" He started counting off on his fingers. "Firstly, I heard the transmission, too, so you can't be going nuts. Secondly, if you had gone Maverick, wouldn't you have hurt me already? Thirdly, don't you want to find the others? What about Zero?"

Almost in response to his query, the rear wall shattered, and a very angry-looking Zero appeared. "Woah!" Darren exclaimed, recoiling a bit. "Speak of the devil!"

Iris looked too and leaped up in surprise. "Z-Zero?!" she asked.

Just then, she noticed Zero's lack of shoulder pads, gold highlights, and sword, and frowned. "Wait a minute..." she said. "Are you really...?"

Zero didn't pause to answer her question. He just charged towards another wall and smashed through it, sending dust and rock flying every which way.

"Woah!" Darren gulped. "He sure was in a hurry, wasn't he?"

"No shoulder pads, no sword..." Iris said quietly. "That wasn't..."

Suddenly there was a patter of footsteps and X and Snake Man emerged from the first broken wall. "Argh! He's fast!" Snake Man growled.

X turned and noticed Iris and Darren. "Hey! Guys!" he exclaimed happily.

"X! Snake Man!" Darren laughed. "You found us!"

"You didn't see Zero come through here, did you?" Snake Man asked before he noticed the other wall. "...Oh. I guess you did."

Iris looked hard at X and blinked a few times. "X?..." she asked.

"Hey, Iris," X replied with a friendly wave. "Are you all right? You sounded a bit freaked..."

Iris's mind raced. This X was in his regular armor and acting normally. Plus, Snake Man was with him, and Darren seemed to think he was the real thing... What was going on here? If this was X, who was it that she had killed? And what was with Zero? He didn't look or act like himself, and he didn't even seem to recognize her...

"Iris, are you OK?" X asked again.

"Snap out of it, Iris!" Darren huffed.

Iris looked hard at X. Something inside her was telling her that she could trust him; that he wouldn't turn on her like the other one had. She shook her head and drew her I-Saber. "...I think I'll be fine," she said. "Let's follow Zero!"

"Awright!" Darren laughed. "NOW you sound like yourself!"

"Hurry!" Snake Man urged. "We'll lose his trail!"

The four Maverick Hunters ran through the tunnels following the wake of destruction that Zero had left.

* * *

Zero grunted as the ringing in his ears started to fade. "What... What was that all about?" he asked.

Rose smiled and shook her head. "We could have had something, Zero..." she said. "What a waste."

"What're you talking about?!" Sharon growled. "You were just whistling! I'm still gonna kick your butt clear to Mars!"

Rose grinned evilly as a dull boom echoed behind her. "We'll see whose butt will be kicked..." she chortled.

The wall behind her smashed to smithereens, and a fearsome-looking red Reploid appeared. His eyes were wild, and he breathed hard.

Zero's eyes widened. "...What?!" he asked.

"What the..." Sharon started.

The evil-eyed Zero walked up next to Rose, who casually slung her arms over his shoulders. He gave a sort of animalistic purring sound. "THIS Zero will help me take care of you," she said. "He knows a good deal when he sees one."

"You... A copy of me?!..." Zero growled.

"You were right about the clones!" Sharon exclaimed. "Who made you? Was it Agile?!"

"Indeed, he did," Rose cooed as Copy Zero started forward. "Now, lover... kill them both!"

Copy Zero lunged forward with a roar. Sharon charged at him and swung her leg in another Frost Kick. He dodged and sent his fist crashing into her chin. With a yell, she flew backwards and hit the floor. "Agh!!!" she wheezed. "Nice... hook..."

"Sharon!" Zero called, but the duplicate was already headed for him, murder in its eyes. Zero swung his Z-Saber, but Copy Zero slapped it away with one blow, and kicked him back into the wall. He winced as he collided with the rock and dropped to his knees, panting.

"Hmm... So much power..." Rose giggled. "I wonder why I wanted that original in the first place?... Oh, well. Time to end this." She started forward with her rapier to finish the job.

Suddenly, something shocked her arm and she yelped in alarm. She looked down to see a huge, electric net had covered her entire limb, weapon and all. She whirled around and came face to face with X, Darren, Snake Man and Iris. "...You!..." she growled. "How DARE you!!!"

"An Iris clone, too?!" Snake Man asked. "I guess we should've expected that..."

Zero glanced up. "Iris... X..." he panted. "Thank God..."

"Hold on, Zero!" X shouted, charging his buster. "We're here to help!"

Rose fumed at the newcomers, but her expression changed when she noticed Iris. Her hateful gaze melted into a cruel smirk, and she shook off the Lightning Web.

"Come on! Let's help out!" Darren shouted. X, Snake Man and he ran at Copy Zero with their weapons ready.

Iris started forward as well, but Rose leaped right in her path, brandishing her dark rapier. Iris looked, shook her head and looked again. "What?..." she asked. "Who are you?!"

"Hello, Iris..." Rose said softly. "So glad we could finally meet. A shame we can't spend more time together!"

Rose lunged with a series of slashes. With a yelp, Iris moved off to the side to dodge, but Rose was too fast for her and leaped in front of her again. She vaulted forward with a deadly thrust, but Iris hopped away and swung her own blade. The weapons clashed and sparks flew every which way.

"You don't have a chance," Rose growled as she shoved hard. "I'm superior to you... in every way!"

"You're a clone?" Iris asked, returning the push. "Then, that must mean..."

"There's no way a creampuff like you could ever satisfy someone like Zero," Rose huffed, shoving even harder. "So I'll spare you the shame of disappointing him!..."

As Iris and Rose struggled, the rest of the Hunters had their hands full with the powerful Copy Zero. Sharon, Zero, X and Snake Man all threw their strongest attacks at the brute while Darren provided cover fire. Zero swung his saber, then X fired his buster, then Sharon kicked and punched, then Snake Man launched his Search Snakes. The copy growled and snarled as each attack slammed into him, but when the smoke cleared he was barely scratched.

"...Wow!..." Snake Man gulped, looking at Copy Zero's untarnished armor.

"The dude's a tank!" Sharon growled.

Copy Zero roared, raised his fist and then slammed it into the ground. Instantly a titanic burst of purple energy swelled up around him and threw them all to the floor. He gave a triumphant laugh and leered at them.

"Aggh!" Zero growled as he tried to get up. "A Rakuhouha attack?!... How is he so strong..."

"He withstood each one of our attacks..." Darren grunted.

"Each one?..." X said as he got to his feet; Darren had given him an idea. "Each one?... Wait, that's it! Can you guys still stand?!"

Sharon staggered to her own feet, Snake Man reached his knees and Zero quickly regained his stance. Darren winced as he used his arm to get back up, but was still ready for another shot. Copy Zero looked around in confusion, growling suspiciously.

"OK, everyone!" X shouted. "All together!"

As Copy Zero heard X's words, he roared in surprise and raised his fist for another Rakuhouha attack. He was too late; X, Snake Man and Darren fired their busters, and then Sharon and Zero flew in with their melee blows. He recoiled once, twice, then three times, and then screeched as a foot entered his stomach and a saber went through his chest.

"Checkmate!" X declared.

Rose suddenly broke the deadlock with Iris and whipped around. "What?!" she yelled.

Copy Zero just stood there, the hole through his chest and some foam starting to dribble from his mouth. He teetered a moment, then with one last grunt toppled backwards onto the ground. He twitched and spasmed, then stopped moving altogether. Purple gases vented out of his joints, much like what had happened with Copy X.

"NO!!!" Rose screamed. "You bastards!!!"

She started forward, but Iris leaped in front of her, her I-Saber glittering. "Have you forgotten about me?" she asked crossly.

Rose growled, then grinned evilly as she brandished her rapier again. "You should have quit while you were ahead!" she huffed. "I'm going to tear you in two!"

The girls resumed their heated duel, with everyone watching and cheering for Iris. Rose leaped in with a dangerous stab, but Iris jumped over it and countered with a slice of her own. Rose stumbled backwards with a curse, and Iris bounced in to knock her sword away.

Unfortunately, Rose had planned the stumble, and was ready for Iris's attack. With one quick motion, her rapier's tip pricked Iris' hand. Iris cried out and dropped her I-Saber. Her enemy disabled, Rose lunged and kicked her in the stomach, knocking her to the ground.

"Iris!" Zero cried.

"Get up!!!" Sharon yelled.

"C'mon, you can do it!" Darren called.

"You most certainly can't," Rose mocked, holding her rapier to Iris's throat. Iris looked up at her angrily, and she smirked. "Hmm... I haven't seen the X duplicate around..." she said. "I bet you cried like a baby when you had to kill him."

Iris gasped a bit; something welled up inside of her.

"It's time to send you back where you belong," Rose growled as she lifted the rapier, ready to send it through Iris's throat.

"So... That really... wasn't X..." Iris said quietly.

"What was that?" Rose smirked.

"That wasn't X..." she repeated. "I... I didn't..."

Suddenly, she flashed brightly. Rose, momentarily blinded, staggered back a few feet. "Agh! What the?!" she yelled.

"What happened?!" Snake Man asked.

Iris's armor's red hues became blue, and the blue parts turned an even lighter blue; if not for her long hair, she might have easily been mistaken for X. She rose to her feet and readied her I-Buster. "Sorry, but I think I'm going to stay around a little longer!" she shouted as her arm cannon charged.

"She changed color..." X said, a smile appearing on his face. "She's got a new weapon!"

"Wh-what?!" Rose gulped as she backed away. "What are you doing?!"

Iris let out a brave yell as three huge, blue energy spheres spewed out of her cannon, one after another. The first one hit Rose dead center, and the other two swerved around in arcs and hit her in the back. She screamed as the bolts hit, one after another. Her rapier flew out of her hands and smashed to bits on a wall.

"Aggghhhh..." Rose hissed as she sank to her knees, purple vapors drifting up from her. "Y-you..."

Iris stood over her, a defiant look on her face, and her I-Buster charging again. "I was upset when I killed him," she admitted. "But I had to stay strong to keep myself safe. That's what you do when you're a Maverick Hunter."

"This... isn't over," Rose panted as she got to her feet. "You just wait... I'll get you yet!" She turned to Zero, smiled and clicked her tongue. "And then I'll get YOU," she finished. There was a bright flash, and she was gone.

The Hunters gathered around Iris. "Did she get away?" Snake Man asked.

"Yeah..." Sharon grumbled. "Crap!"

"Don't worry," Darren sighed. "I'm sure we haven't seen the last of her..."

Zero put his hand to his helmet. "Professor, do you read me?" he asked.

There was static at first, but then a voice came through. "Zero? Is that you?" Smith asked. "Thank goodness! I was wondering what happened to you guys."

"We're a little bruised, but otherwise fine," Zero replied. "We don't know where we are in this mine, though... Can you transport us?"

"Let me see what I can do," Smith replied. "Just give me a minute..."

"Nice work, Iris," X congratulated Iris. "You're getting better."

Iris looked at X and her eyes spilled over with tears. Before he could react, she had him in a tight hug. "I... I thought I did something horrible to you..." she sobbed.

X, totally surprised by the grab, could do little but pat her on the back. "Uh... It's OK..." he said.

Zero turned and glanced at them, gave a faint chuckle and turned back away.

* * *

Later at the museum, the Maverick Hunters took the afternoon off to soothe their wounds. Iris and X sat opposite each other at a table in the food court, sipping tea and watching a light snow fall outside. "So, how's everyone doing?" X asked.

"The Reploids are doing fine," Iris replied. "Darren's arm is sprained, but he should be OK in a few days."

"That's good..." X replied. "I'm surprised we got out of that with that little damage."

Iris sipped her tea. "...I didn't realize that you had feelings for me," she said.

There was an awkward pause. X gave her a strange look. "Hmm?" he asked. "I never had feelings for you beyond friendship, Iris. Where did you come up with that?"

"Oh..." she said, looking down and blushing a bit. "Um... Never mind."

"Sure..." he replied, taking another sip of tea. After a few moments, he frowned and looked out the window. "I'm concerned... Those duplicates were filled with some sort of virus; that's the only explanation for how crazy they were."

"Yeah, that purple vapor..." Iris said. "That was weird... We were in there for so long; how come none of us became Mavericks?"

"Actually, Professor Smith analyzed the sample we brought back," X answered. "It turns out it wasn't viral at all; it was just purple-colored, harmless gas. It must have been pumped into the mines to scare us."

She scratched her head embarrassedly. "Well, it sure scared me..." she admitted quietly.

X could tell that she was still upset from the battle against the clones. "You know what?" he said, leaning in close. "I was, too."

"You?" she asked. "But... But you're one of the best Hunters of all!"

"Everyone gets scared, Iris," he replied. "The trick is to not let it get to you."

She hung her head again. "I let it get to me, though..." she said. "I couldn't move..."

"But you snapped out of it and did your best when it counted," X pressed, "and that's what matters. I'm proud of you."

"Really?" she asked, blushing even deeper. "Gee, um, thanks, X..."

X smiled warmly and nodded. Then he frowned and looked out the window. "What I'm worried about, though, is what Agile's after..." he said. "He seems to be collecting stuff that Sigma used to create his Mavericks... Could he be trying to repeat the Maverick Wars?..."

"Oh..." Iris sighed worriedly. "I hope not... It would be wonderful if we could just keep the peace..."

"Not while he's out there," he muttered. "But why is he doing it? Why now?... Professor Smith made a virus-proof chip, right? What could Agile accomplish if all the new Reploids are immune to viruses? "

"I don't know," Iris answered plainly. "All we can really do is keep stopping the Mavericks until we learn more..." She paused and sighed sadly. "I wanted to live in a peaceful world with my friends... But I guess I've got to stop these new Mavericks before any of that... I guess it's kind of like redeeming myself, isn't it?... For what I did to Zero..."

X shifted in his chair. "...You're doing a great job so far," he replied quietly.

The two reploids sipped their tea again and watched a winter breeze blow the snow around.


	5. The Holiday Frame Of Mind

**CHAPTER 5**

**THE HOLIDAY FRAME OF MIND**

Snow piled up on sidewalks and workers strung holiday lights on the bare trees. Warm store windows set up glowing displays of red, white and green decorations. The scents of pastries and eggnog wafted through the air. Men and women in red suits and caps stood on street corners, ringing sweet little bells and hoping passersby would toss some coins into their pots. All of these goings-on stated the same thing: Christmas was coming.

"Ah, I love this season," Smith sighed as Snake Man and he walked down Fifth Street past Ecolab Plaza and watched an employee turn on sparkly red and green lights that flashed around the building entrances. It had been a week since the scuffle in the mines, and nobody had seen or heard anything from Agile. Everyone was a bit on edge until they were reminded of the approaching holiday, and had since busied themselves with preparing for a lovely time. Iris, X and Zero hadn't had a proper celebration in over a hundred years, so naturally they looked forward to it most of all.

"Snow is falling, carolers are singing, everyone's practicing goodwill... It's great," Smith finished, rubbing his mittened hands together.

"Yes," Snake Man agreed. "...But go easy on the presents. Those credit card pirates really chewed you up last year."

"Oh, lighten up, Snake Man!" Smith replied. "Christmas comes but once a year!"

"At least use your own money this time," Snake Man urged. "Peabody hates it when you put personal things on the museum's budget!... Especially when all you got him was tube socks."

"He likes those tube socks," Smith replied as they walked into a department store. "I saw him wearing them just yesterday! Now, what do you think Sharon would like?..."

* * *

X breathed in the chilly air with gusto as he got out of the car. He wasn't out on a Maverick Hunting mission, that was for sure; he wore a black leather jacket, thick boots, warm mittens and a blue cap. "Ah, nothing like a drive in the wintertime wilderness, huh?" he asked, turning back to the car.

Zero emerged from the other door and harrumphed. He was also not dressed for danger; he was wearing a dark green jacket, boots, black gloves and a red headband. His hair was still tied in a ponytail behind him, but without his helmet's support the long strands dropped into the sludgy gray snow on the road. He felt the wetness and almost regretted going with X to find a Christmas Tree. "I suppose..." he replied. "It's nice for some people."

X and Zero locked the car and started up a shoveled walkway. They had traveled about an hour and a half from St. Paul, up to the remote town of Cloquet, to find a good tree. They had already found a nice little tree for their apartment, but Peabody had commissioned them to find a really good one for the museum. They had taken Smith's junky 20X9 Zinger and drove all the way there to take in the marvelous Minnesota winter landscape. Now they stood before the tree lot that Peabody had told them to go to.

"'Willoughby Lebeau's Totality of Holiday Baums,'" Zero mumbled, reading the sign on an ornate gate. "...Great. Peabody would send us to a place like this..."

"Don't be so quick," X replied. "It might look upper-crust, but trees are trees, right?"

X knocked on the gate door and a wiry, irritated man with a handlebar moustache appeared. "Yes?" he snapped. "Have you business here?"

"Um..." X started, a bit startled by the man's disposition. "We're here to get a Christmas tree for the Science Museum in St. Paul."

"Oh, yes..." the man replied, frowning as he looked the two Reploids over. "_Monsieur_ Peabody phoned ahead. Please, come in. The selection is very ornate this year."

The man led X and Zero to a long line of colorful, metallic trees. They shone out in sparkling reds, blues, pinks, silvers and golds. "The finest trees you will ever find," the man said with a hint of haughtiness. "So, which one do you require?..."

Zero looked at the trees and frowned; the trees sparkled, but it was a cold sparkle, devoid of warmth or joy. "This is it?" he asked.

The man raised an annoyed eyebrow. "You... wanted something else?" he asked.

"Well..." X replied, rapping on one of the trees and hearing a hollow echo. "We kind of were hoping for something... organic."

"Organic?" the man laughed. "Well, you shan't find any of that here. We sell only the highest quality trees."

"What kind of quality would that be?" Zero asked. "These are all just a bunch of sad, cold, metal fakes. What's so 'high quality' about them?"

The man harrumphed. "Don't sass me, young lady," he growled. "If you are dissatisfied with the quality of my trees, you are more than welcome to go elsewhere!"

Zero clenched his teeth.

"...I think we will, thanks," X muttered, tugging at Zero's shoulder and leaving. As they left the lot and got in the car, the gate slammed shut.

"The nerve," Zero growled.

"Really!" X replied, starting the car up and pulling out. "What kind of person buys a cold, soulless piece of junk like that?"

"...That wasn't what I was talking about," Zero answered.

"Anyway, let's find a place with some REAL trees," X said as they turned back onto the highway and drove on.

They turned around and started back towards St. Paul when X saw another tree lot. "'Ole and Sven's Tree Farm?'" he read the sign. "Hey, that sounds neat. How about we stop here?"

"I suppose," Zero replied. "It wouldn't do to go back empty-handed."

They parked and walked into the lot, where they were greeted by a rotund, gray-whiskered man with a plaid shirt and a cheerful chuckle. "Welcome, boys!" he said with a bit of an accent. "Lookin' fer a good, fresh-cut tree, eh?"

"Yes, sir," X replied.

"OK, den," the man said, pointing behind him. "All de trees within de fencin're fair game. Go ahead and find a nice one, den chop it an' bring it back here, eh? Have fun!"

X and Zero hiked through the snow towards the large grove. These large, natural trees not only looked prettier than the metal ones, but they seemed to radiate a holiday glow. One tree in particular stood out; it was nice and full, and tall enough to fit in the museum lobby without looking puny.

"That one's perfect!" X said as he set eyes on it. "Everyone will love it! Do you have the saw?"

Zero reached down and produced a long, metallic saw; it was the type that required two people to cut. "If I had brought my saber, it would be faster," he commented.

"Oh, but where would the fun be?" X asked as he took one end of the saw. "Let's get started!"

The two Hunters set their saw into the tree and pushed and pulled. Slowly but surely, the saw bit into the tree. Dust and chips flaked out from either direction.

"Hey, this is going great!" X chuckled. "We'll have it down in no time!"

Zero nodded. "You know, I'm actually glad I didn't bring the saber," he said. "This IS fun."

X smiled again. "Hey, I bet you're looking forward to Christmas," he went on. "You must be happy to be spending it with Iris, huh?"

Suddenly, he felt Zero's end of the saw slow, and then stop altogether. He peered around the tree. "Zero?" he asked.

Zero had dropped his end of the blade and was just staring off into space. X grew worried. "Are you OK?" he asked.

"Iris..." he replied. "Has she really...?"

X approached his friend. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Zero sighed. "Why does she forgive me so easily...?"

X frowned and looked down. "Is that what's bothering you?" he asked.

"I don't understand..." Zero continued, looking down at his gloved hands. "I killed her brother, and then I killed her... She knows who built me, and why... She knows that the virus is still inside of me, and always will be... She knows how dangerous I am... Why wouldn't she harbor some sort of fear of me?... Why wouldn't she hate me...?"

X sighed sadly. "Zero..." he said. "Iris worked herself to the bone to find you, and to bring your virus under control. Doesn't that tell you anything?"

Zero shook his head slowly. "I just don't know..." he said. "I don't know how she can stand me."

X patted his friend on the shoulder. "Trust her, Zero," he said. "Trust her like she trusts you."

"Trust..." Zero chewed the word over in his mouth.

"Besides..." X said, folding his arms and staring up at the gray sky with a far-off look. "The Repliforce thing... It wasn't your fault."

"Not my fault?" Zero asked. "How can you say that?"

X looked at Zero again. "It just wasn't," he said quietly.

The two stood in silence. A light snow began to fall.

"...Oh, look at the time!" X exclaimed, glancing down at his watch and breaking the silence. "We've gotta get this tree back to the museum before 3:00! Help me finish cutting it, will you?"

Zero shook off some snow and sighed. He was still worried, but he decided that it would be best to give Iris the benefit of the doubt for the moment. He reached down and grabbed his end of the saw. "Ready when you are," he said.

* * *

Iris hummed to herself cheerfully as she put on her violet jacket and boots, then replaced her beret in its usual spot. She quickly checked her pocket and made sure she had her wallet; she was going to need it for the mission she was going on.

"Hey," Darren said, coming up behind her. He wore a maroon coat and white mittens to keep himself warm. Oddly enough, though, he still had his baseball cap. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Iris replied with a confused look. "But how are we going to get there? X and Zero have the car..."

"Don't worry," Darren said. "X and Zero have the professor's car. Mine's still at the apartment."

"You have a car?" Iris asked. "That's odd; I've never seen it..."

He scratched his head. "It's kind of a work in progress," he admitted. "It's a busted-up old thing that I've been customizing for a while... It's ugly, but it'll get us there and back. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, not at all!" she answered. "It might be fun, I think. OK, let's catch a bus and go get the car."

Iris and Darren stepped into the lobby and were suddenly smashed together in an iron bear hug. "Hey, guys!!!" a familiar voice warbled. Before they could do anything, a big, wet smooch landed on each of their faces.

Darren yelped as Iris and he wrenched free and turned to see their assailant. Sharon leaned against the wall, chuckling oddly and holding an empty glass. "Heh heh heh..." she laughed. "Merry Christmas, you guys! Ya shoulda known that's what happens under the missile toes!"

Iris looked up; there was indeed a strand of mistletoe hanging above the doorway. "Um, yes... Thanks, Sharon," she said, trying to wipe the slobber off.

"You're acting weird," Darren remarked. "What was in that glass?"

"Oh, just a little nog to help me decorate!" Sharon laughed. "An' what a decoratin' it is!"

Iris and Darren looked around. Holiday decorations were thrown all around the lobby with no real rhyme or reason; tinsel dangled from windowsills, lights lay half-attached to the walls, half-strewn on the floor. Silver and gold balls hung from the dinosaur skeleton's nose.

"Um..." Iris said, scratching her chin. "It's very... original."

"Err, maybe you should get some black coffee to help you decorate, Sharon," Darren said with an embarrassed chuckle. "Well, we're going to go do a little shopping, so we'll be back around 4:00, OK?"

"OK!" Sharon laughed. "X an' Zero should be back with a tree by then, so we kin all decorate it together! Have fun, you two!"

Suddenly, a loud roar split the air. "DOHERTY!!!" Peabody's angry voice boomed.

Everyone turned and looked as Peabody stormed into the lobby. "WHAT is a melting snowman doing in the sound exhibit?!" he snapped.

Sharon laughed. "Aww, I thought the exhibit could use some cheer!" she explained. "An' I don't like using fake snow!"

Peabody fumed, but Sharon persisted. "Hey, you don't look festive enough, boss!" she said, pulling out some more tinsel. "Lemme put some of this in yer hair!"

Peabody gulped as Sharon advanced. "Here now, don't come any closer! Stop! AHHH!!!" he ran as the giggling Sharon pursued him, waving tinsel every which way. They disappeared down some stairs and the lobby grew quiet.

"...I think it's time to go," Darren said after an awkward pause.

"Yes," Iris answered.

The two friends left the museum. As they walked towards the bus stop, Iris giggled. "What WAS in that eggnog?" she asked.

"Whatever it was, there was too much," Darren chuckled. "That's for sure."

* * *

Half an hour later, Iris and Darren were speeding down the highway in Darren's car. It was a very peculiar vehicle; it was small, but kind of long, and half of the metal on it was black, and the other half was green. The tailpipe was shaped like a church organ, and shot up vertically from the back. This would have been less odd if the car actually used gasoline; a shiny hydro engine- an engine that ran on water- popped up from the front of the hood.

"So, what do you think?" Darren asked as he merged into the exit lane.

"It's odd..." Iris answered. "...But I like it. You built this by yourself?"

"No, I just found an old car and fixed it up," he replied. "It's got stuff that no other car has."

Iris glanced down where the glove compartment should have been. A microwave oven hung there instead. "...Really?" she asked with a chuckle.

"What can I say?" he admitted. "I like popcorn." Just then, he looked up and nodded. "There's where we're going..."

Iris looked up. Ahead on the side of the road was a huge, domed building with several dome extensions on several side. Her eyes widened with amazement. "What... What IS that?" she asked.

"The Mall Of America," Darren replied. "The biggest shopping joint in the country. They've got anything and everything in there."

"Wonderful!" she answered. "I can get presents for everyone in one place!"

"Cool," he replied, turning into a lot and searching for a parking place. "Just be careful; there could be some shady folks in there... And you definitely don't want to get lost."

"Well, we'll have to stick together, won't we?" she replied, pointing towards an empty space.

"Yup; that's the name of the game here," he said, turning off the gas and opening the door. "Now, let's get going!"

* * *

Iris and Darren had a wonderful time inside the Mega Mall. The store displays were all decorated to fit the cheery season. Carolers in the halls happily sang their favorite songs. Human and Reploid kids alike flocked inside a fanciful gingerbread house to tell Santa Claus their fondest wishes. Bakeries gave free samples of their holiday treats to the passersby. The other religious groups also had prominent displays for Hannukah, Ramadan and Kwanzaa. Most importantly, though, Iris was able to get a good present for everybody on her list.

"Man, this is such a great place!" Iris exclaimed, walking through the rotunda and getting bathed in gentle red and green light. "I don't shop much, but this really brings out the stereotype in me!"

"Err... Yeah," Darren panted, trying to balance the three or so huge bags in his arms; being Iris's chaperone also meant being her pack mule, apparently. "Is... Is that everyone?"

"Let's see..." Iris said, pulling out her list. "Snake Man, Zero... Sharon's taken care of... So is the professor... X was hard to buy for, but I found something he'll like... And..." She closed up her list and grinned at Darren mischeviously. "Yes, I'm done! Did you need to get anything?"

"Nahh," Darren answered. "I order all my stuff online. I could use a snack, though."

She glanced around, looking for a less-than-crowded food place. "Ah, there! How about a smoothie?" she asked, pointing.

"That sounds good," he replied with a smile. "Lead the way!"

Just as Iris started towards the shop, something collided with her side and she tumbled to the floor. "Owww!" she cried as she landed.

"Iris!" Darren exclaimed, running over to her. "Are you OK?"

Iris looked up. A nervous-looking Reploid was standing over her, scratching the back of his head. "I-I'm ever so s-sorry, ma'am," he apologized. "I-I'm the clumsiest o-of fellows..." He offered his hand to help her up.

"It's just fine," she replied, grabbing his hand. As he pulled her back to her feet, she felt a small jab of pain in her palm; the Reploid must have certainly had a firm grip.

"T-there you go. All better now..." he stammered. "E-excuse me..." He turned and walked quickly away.

Iris watched him go, then turned back to Darren. "Well, that was interesting," she remarked, dusting herself off.

"Boy, some folks," Darren replied. "At least he apologized, huh?"

"Yeah..." she replied. "Whew. I think I need to sit down. Would you mind getting me an orange smoothie, please?"

"No problem," Darren replied, setting the bags down. "Back in a flash!" He turned and walked over to the booth.

Iris plopped down on a nearby bench to rest her feet for a moment. She glanced over at her packages and smiled. What fun this was! She'd forgotten how enjoyable the holidays were. She hoped that everyone would like the gifts she'd picked out; Zero had been a sinch to get for, but she had made educated guesses on everyone else. She especially hoped that Darren would like his present. He was always willing to go an extra mile for her, so it seemed only fair to-

Her train of thought was broken by a quick slash of pain through her forehead. She winced and rubbed at it, but it was already gone. She stared off into space for a few moments, wondering what it could have been. "...Oh, well. I must have just overworked myself today..." she said to herself.

"Hey, I'm back!" Darren said as he sat down next to her with an orange and a strawberry smoothie. "Just like you asked for!"

"Thanks," she replied, taking the drink and sipping quietly.

Darren cheerfully sucked on his. "Yup! Strawberry goodness all around," he reported. "How's yours?"

Iris started to reply, but suddenly she felt a small headache. "Oooh..." she winced, rubbing her head. "I've got a headache..."

"Heh," he chuckled. "That's what you get for drinking too fast."

"No..." she replied. "This started before you got back..."

"Really?" Darren asked, growing concerned. "...Maybe all that power-shopping made you ill... Lissen, we can finish these later. Let's head home now so you can rest, all right?"

"Oh... OK," Iris said. "Where's the exit?..."

"It's back this way," Darren motioned. "Come on, now."

Iris slowly followed Darren out of the mall. As they went out the door, a familiar figure peered around the corner. When he was sure they weren't returning, he put his hand to his ear.

"Th-this is Polk," the nervous Reploid said. "Mi-mission accomplished."

"Very good, Polk!" Agile's cheery voice exclaimed. "Did it all go according to plan?"

"Y-yes," Polk stammered. "I r-ran into her and h-helped her up. When I t-touched her hand, the needle you p-put in my finger w-went in..."

"Wonderful!" Agile replied. "So, is the needle in good condition, still?"

Polk looked down at his finger. "Y-yes, it's still-"

Polk's sentence ended in a scream as a deadly electric surge ripped through his body. He crumpled to the floor, half-melted. A shopper screamed, and the whole floor went into a panic.

"Can't have any evidence, now!" Agile's voice crackled. "Ta-ta!"

Then the communicator exploded.

* * *

A wave of cold air rushed over Darren and Iris as they left the mall, Darren still struggling with the bags and Iris rubbing at her head. "Don't worry," Darren said. "We'll get home quick. I think we're parked... Ah, yes, over there!"

Iris slowly followed Darren through the parking lot. The headache had become worse, as if someone was boring into her skull with a drill. She whimpered a bit as the pain spiked, but kept walking. Suddenly, the world began to distort around her. The ground sloshed back and forth like ocean waves, and the parking lot's cars and lights blurred together into a colorful mess swaying back and forth in front of her. "Oooogh..." she groaned. "Darren... I..."

"It's OK," he replied, quickly stuffing the bags in the trunk and turning to her. "Come on and get in!"

"O...Okay..." she started, wobbling uncertainly. She took a step forward and the world exploded with light. She stumbled and crashed to the floor in a dead faint.

"IRIS!!!" Darren yelled, running and kneeling over her.

* * *

"Guooo..." Sharon groaned, rubbing her forehead; she had one doozy of a headache. "That's the LAST time I drink spiked nog..."

"I hope so," Snake Man replied. Professor Smith and he had finished with their shopping and had returned to the museum. "Peabody was furious about your decorating his ears."

"No kidding," she sighed. "Half a week's pay docked?! What happened to the Christmas spirit?!"

"It only goes so far," X replied. Zero and he had also come back from getting a tree. "I don't think trying to pierce his ears with silver balls counts."

"I suppose we should wait for Iris to return before we decorate any more," Zero said. "It wouldn't be fair otherwise..."

"We should wait for Darren too," Smith added, glancing out the entrance windows at the afternoon sun. Just then, an oddly-shaped, approaching car caught his eye. "Speaking of Darren, here he comes," he said. "But why is he driving his car? He usually doesn't..."

The car screeched to a halt in front of the museum and Darren hopped out, looking very freaked out and upset.

"Hey, he can't park there!" Sharon exclaimed. "That's a crosswalk!"

"Huh?" X asked. "I wonder what he's so worked up about..."

Darren opened the back door of the car and pulled the unconscious Iris out. He quickly slung her onto his back and ran for the door.

"What the?!" Smith asked.

"Iris?!" Zero gasped, bolting for the door.

Everyone met Darren at the entrance and stumbled into the lobby. "Guys... Ya gotta help me!..." Darren panted. "I... she..."

"Here, easy!" Smith said. "Sharon, help me get her over to a bench."

Smith and Sharon pulled Iris off of Darren and lay her on a bench. Zero shook Darren angrily. "What happened?!" he growled. "Tell me what happened!!!"

"Agghh!" Darren yelped as he was jostled back and forth. "I don't know! Honest!!!"

"Zero, calm down!" X pleaded, pulling on Zero's shoulder. "You could hurt him!"

Zero bit his lip in fury, but released his grip. "I'm... sorry," he apologized.

Darren winced and rubbed his shoulder. "It's OK," he replied.

"Darren, tell us exactly what happened," Snake Man said.

"She got a headache, and then passed out!" Darren answered, scratching his head in frustration. "I couldn't wake her up..."

Smith held Iris's hand and listened. "...There's still a pulse, albeit a weak one..." he said. "I suppose we could say she's comatose..."

"But why?" Sharon asked. "All she did was go shopping!"

"Yeah! That was all!" Darren confirmed.

"Hmm... It could be some sort of error in her systems..." Smith said. "I need to run some tests. Sharon, Darren, help me get her to the medical office."

"But..." Zero started, looking worried and upset. "What can we do, professor?..."

Smith looked at X, Snake Man and him. "Just sit tight," he said quietly. "I'll call you when I know more. In the meantime, find a good excuse for why you got a real tree instead of what Peabody wanted." He turned and headed after the others.

"Oh, man..." X sighed. "Today was going so well, too..."

"Iris..." Zero whispered.

* * *

"Have you found anything yet, prof?" Sharon asked after half an hour of anxious waiting in the medical room.

"Hmm..." Smith said, looking over some data at the medical computer. Iris lay an observation bed, hooked up to several machines that monitored her vital signs. Smith also had a scan of her body up on screen to see if there was anything suspicious. "This is bad... Her whole nervous system has shut down!"

"Do you have any GOOD news?" Sharon grumbled.

"No..." he replied as he looked at his notes again. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "But there's something else going on here... Small pieces of her system are reactivating randomly, and then being damaged!..."

"What?" Darren cried. "You mean, she's getting hurt from the inside?!"

"Seems like it..." Smith answered. "What's odd is that all of the systems acting like that are inside her memory core... It's like something is picking at her brain."

"Brain?!" Sharon asked. "This is awful!"

"If her memory shuts down completely, she won't remember anything... Even worse, this could spread to other parts of her systems... and eventually kill her," Smith said, frowning deeply.

"This is awful..." Darren choked out. "Christmas is supposed to be a happy time..."

"I'm still waiting for her brain wave test to come back," Smith finished. "But right now... I don't know what's happening..."

"Professor!" Zero huffed as he burst into the room, followed by X and Snake Man. He looked almost panicked. "What's going on? Is she going to be all right?!"

"I don't know what's wr-" Smith began when his computer beeped and the monitor displayed some strange pictures. "...Hold on, that's the last test..." he said, turning back to the machine. As he read over the findings, Zero made an angry fist and set his teeth.

"You don't know...?" Zero asked quietly.

"Stay calm, Zero," X cautioned. "Let him check his data."

"But he just said he didn't know!" he snapped. "He doesn't know what's wrong!!!"

"...I do now," Smith said, folding his arms and scowling at the monitor.

"You do?!" Sharon asked. "Thank goodness!"

The monitor displayed two long, wavy lines that seemed to intertwine with each other in places. "Do you see this?" Smith asked. "This is Iris's brainwave pattern; this test was to show if she was simply unconscious or in a coma. I thought it would be a useless test, seeing as how all the other tests showed that she was comatose... but look at this..." He pointed to the lines."

"...It looks like a strand of DNA," X remarked. "What's wrong with it?"

"That's EXACTLY what's wrong!" Smith replied. "A brain wave, whether human or Reploid, only travels in ONE wave! For one person to have two would be impossible!" He frowned and looked at the Hunters. "Do you understand what I'm getting at, here?..." he asked.

"Unless Iris has a split personality..." Snake Man suggested. "...I'd have to say that there's another consciousness in there."

"Right," Smith said, looking sadly at Iris's unconscious form. "Someone else is inside her body... and that someone else has closed up shop."

"There's someone else in there?!" Zero asked. "How did they get in?!"

"Darren, I need to ask you something," Smith said, nodding to the engineer. "Come over here and look at this."

Darren got off his chair and walked over to Smith, who zoomed in on a scan of Iris's hand. A small hole was visible on her palm. "Did Iris poke herself while you were out?" Smith asked.

"No..." Darren said. "Not that I can remember..."

"But did anything unusual happen with that hand?" Smith pushed.

"Well, a real edgy Reploid crashed into her and helped her up..." Darren recalled. "She did grab his hand with that one, but that was it... Wait..." His eyes widened. "You don't think..." he started.

"I do think," Smith growled. "That guy crashed into Iris, then jabbed her when he helped her up. That must have started this..."

"Someone poisoned her?" X asked. "Urgh... Whoever it was, I bet he was on Agile's payroll!"

"Great!" Sharon snarled. "You just can't trust anybody anymore!"

"Place blame later," Zero snapped. He looked down at Iris and his eyes hardened. "We have to help her! I'm not going to stand here and watch her die again!"

"If there's truly another entity inside of her, there's only one way I could think of to help her..." Smith said. "It's the same way I used to reactivate her."

"You mean... A mental uplink?" Snake Man asked.

"Yes," Smith replied. "We must go inside her mind and drive out the other being! I have three adaptable kits; both humans and Reploids can use them. Who's going?"

"There's no doubt," Zero declared. "I'm going!"

"I'm right behind you!" Sharon added. "No way I'm letting anyone pick my pal's brain!"

"You can count me in, too," Darren spoke up.

Zero frowned. "I was kind of hoping X would come along," he said bluntly.

"Iris is my friend, too," Darren replied. "And maybe I could've done something to stop this beforehand... so I'm going!"

Zero frowned, but he saw Darren's point; he knew all too well the need to make up for mistakes. "Fine," he finally said.

"Good," Smith said. "Snake Man, help me get the uplink working!"

Snake Man dashed out of the medical room and came back with three visors and a keyboard. "I'll monitor your progress with the keyboard," Smith started to say, taking a cord and pushing away some of Iris's hair to plug it into the back of her head. "I must tell you one thi-OW!!!"

The professor jumped back and rubbed his fingers, hissing angrily. "What's wrong?" X asked.

"I got zapped!" Smith replied. "Her hacking security is still active! Whoever's inside there doesn't want anyone else getting in that way..."

"So... We can't get in?" Darren asked quietly.

"I didn't say that!" Smith said. "There's always a back door... But this one will be a bit trickier..."

Smith took a scalpel and made a quick incision in Iris's right temple. He gingerly pulled away enough of the synthetic skin to reveal another access port. "Score!" Sharon laughed. "Our back door!"

"Yeah..." Smith sighed. "But this is for data transfer only... the only way to get in this way is to connect directly to another Reploid's memory banks. So... One of you Reploid Hunters have to access it as a connector... Unfortunately, your could get whatever's in Iris's head stuck in yours..."

"A connector, eh...?" X asked.

"That doesn't sound very fun..." Sharon admitted, "and we could end up like this, too?..."

"Damn..." Darren sighed. "If I were a Reploid..."

Zero looked at Darren, then at Iris, then at the professor. "...I'll do it," he said. "I'll do anything to save her."

"But then, who'll go in your place?" Smith asked.

Zero smiled and looked at X. "I'm sure you can handle this one without me?" he said.

X nodded solemnly. "We'll all be careful," he said.

"All right!" Professor Smith exclaimed. "Now, lie down and I'll get you ready."

Fifteen minutes later, X, Sharon and Darren were hooked up to the visors, which were connected to the access port in the now-unconscious Zero's neck. A wire connected Zero's temple to Iris's. The plan was that Darren and the others would enter Zero's mind and cross over into Iris's through the transfer line.

"OK, we're all hooked up!" Smith said. "Are you all ready?"

"Uh... What if this thing puts up a fight?" Darren asked, shifting his weight uncomfortably.

Smith gave them a stern look. "Be VERY careful, all of you. You can move about and use your weapons just as you can in real life... but if you get hurt... Whatever happens there happens here. Do you still want to do this?"

X nodded. Darren gulped nervously, but his resolve to save his friend was stronger than his fears; he also nodded.

"Say, uh, prof, are you sure this is gonna work?" Sharon asked.

"No," Smith replied. "This is the first time anyone's tried this."

"WHA-" she started.

"Good luck!" Smith said, activating the uplink.

Immediately, the three Hunters' eyes snapped shut, and they felt like they were riding down in an elevator going far too fast. Down they went. Down, down, down...

* * *

The next thing anybody knew was that they were on their backs in a large, white room with a domed ceiling. The ceiling glowed in gentle colors, changing its hues every few moments. Several small, glowing spheres danced in the air.

"Woah..." Sharon exclaimed, looking around. "Where ARE we?..."

"...These must be Zero's memory banks," Darren said, picking himself up. "Professor Smith said he saw something like these inside of Iris..."

An orange sphere bobbed around X's head like a playful bird. "So these... Are they Zero's memories?" he asked.

The sphere flickered. "Zero?! Zero! You're alive!" it uttered, in an echoing rendition of X's voice.

X gasped and recoiled.

"Ah, so, you're alive, huh, X? It seems that Sigma didn't get me after all," the sphere continued, this time in Zero's voice.

"Hey..." Darren suggested as he walked over. "That sounds like Zero and you talking..."

"Yes..." X replied. "I remember that conversation; it's when Zero came back when I thought he'd died..."

"So... Each of these spheres is like a recording?" Sharon asked, walking up to sphere and watching it. "We can hear them?" She raised her hand to touch the orb.

"Woah, wait, Sharon, I don't know if you should-" X started.

Sharon's fingers brushed the sphere. Immediately the room shimmered and changed entirely. The Hunters now stood in the middle of a dark room with humming consoles and cold, metal floors. Strobe lights cast soft, eeris glows, emanating auras of sadness. Metal scraps and other rubble were scattered about on the floor, as if a massive battle had just taken place.

"Gee..." Sharon managed.

"I guess we can watch the memories as well..." X suggested.

"This room's a mess," Darren commented, looking around. "It looks like a robot just exploded..." Just then, something on the floor caught his eye, and he gave a sharp breath. "...What the?!" he cried.

X and Sharon looked where he pointed and gasped. Iris lay on the floor, hideously beat up and her clothes torn. A single beam of light shone down on her like a sorrowful messanger from the heavens.

"Iris! Are you all right?!" X asked running to her, kneeling down and reaching out to shake her. Everyone was shocked when his hand passed right through her shoulder.

"Agh!" Sharon yelled. "She's a ghost!"

Darren got over his panic and shook his head. "No..." he said, watching X try to touch Iris again and failing. "WE'RE the ghosts. We can't interact with the memories; they're made to stay this way."

"So..." X said, glancing around. "This room looks like it was on the Repliforce space station... This must be where our new adventure began..."

Suddenly, the party heard shouting. They all turned around and saw Zero running in from the darkness. He was panting heavily, his body was ravaged by numerous bruises and scratches and his eyes were wild with panic. "Iris!" he wheezed. He ran right through Darren and X and knelt down beside Iris.

"Oh, no..." Darren whispered. "I think I know what comes next..."

Iris slowly opened her eyes and strained to look at him. "Zero..." she whispered.

"Hang in there, Iris!" Zero said, attempting to reassure her, but his voice gave away his fear.

"Zero..." Iris sighed. "Please... Stay away from Repliforce... and let's live together... in a world where only Reploids exist..."

"Iris, there is no world just for Reploids," Zero answered, his voice still wavering. "It's only a fantasy."

"I know... but I wanted to believe it..." Iris said. Straining against the fatal fatigue that quickly consumed her, she managed to lift her hand up to Zero's. "I wanted to live in a world... where only Reploids exist... with you..."

"So, that's what Iris meant!" Sharon exclaimed. "It all makes sense now..."

"What does?" Darren asked as X and he looked at her.

"When you got hurt in Egypt, Iris told me in the waiting room that she had been wrong about humans..." she explained. "I guess this was what she meant..."

"Shh..." X said. "It's still going..."

Zero clasped Iris's hand tightly. "Iris!..." he said, choking back a sob.

"Unhhh..." Iris groaned. She smiled one last time, then her eyes closed and her head involuntarily fell.

"Iris?..." Zero asked quietly. There was no answer. "Iris!" He cried again, shaking her; still no response. "Iris..." he choked, hanging his head.

"Oh, God..." Darren gulped. "We're actually seeing her... die..."

Zero rose up, Iris in his arms, and wailed a wail of the damned. "IRIS!!!! NO!!! This isn't happening! I don't have a reason to go on! What... WHAT AM I FIGHTING FOR?!!!!" he screamed.

The scream lingering in the air, the scene faded into darkness. Then the Hunters were back in the domed room.

"...Poor Zero..." Sharon said.

"I see why he thinks Iris doesn't trust him..." X sighed.

"Iris..." Darren muttered. "...Wait! Iris! She's still in trouble! We have to help her!"

"Right!" X said, remembering the mission. "We have to find the path to Iris's mind. Let's all split up and look."

X, Darren and Sharon each went to different parts of the room to try and find some sort of tunnel that would take them into the connecting wire and into Iris's memory banks. They searched and searched, but found nothing of any use.

Sharon grumbled with annoyance as she regarded her predicament. "Not one exit!" she fumed. "How do you like that? What, are we trapped in here?!"

She leaned against the wall and sighed. "I sure hope the guys are having better luck..." she said.

Another orange sphere floated down next to her and flashed gently. She thought for a moment, then put her hand out. "Ah, well. I guess I might as well entertain myself for a minute..." she said.

She touched the sphere and instantly she stood in a large room full of monitors. Reploids sat at the monitors hitting buttons and speaking into headsets; Sharon guessed that these were navigator Reploids.

"Where am I?..." she asked. "Those computers look kind of old by today's standards... Am I in the old Maverick Hunter base?"

A nearby door slid open and Zero walked in, looking rather sullen and crabby. One of the navigators noticed him and stood up; she had long, purple hair that hid her eyes, a beauty mark on her cheek, and a chest that reminded Sharon of the detestable Rose. "Who's that, I wonder?" she asked.

"Vile... Sigma... This is just like before..." Zero grumbled, leaning against the wall and folding his arms.

"Zero..." the girl said with a low, husky voice. "Does it remind you... of the virus?"

Zero raised an eyebrow. "So, you heard..." he said. He paused, sighed and looked at the ground. "I have been used many times... to try and destroy this world... Sigma used me, but more than that, I'm..."

He looked at the girl thoughtfully, then shook his head. "...No. I shouldn't burden anyone with this... Don't worry about it."

The girl stood quietly, her lips pursed in concern.

"I have to at least stop Sigma," Zero continued. "I can't let him go through with his plan." He looked at the girl with determination. "Will you help me?"

The girl blushed a deep crimson. "Y-yes... Sure. Whatever you need me to do," she replied.

"Hey, what's this all about?!" Sharon asked, noticing the girl's reaction. "Who IS this chick?!"

"Good," he answered with a relieved smile. "I'm going to the moon with X and Axl. Help Alia and Pallette navigate for us."

"Y-yes, Zero!" she said, happily returning to her monitor and hitting buttons.

"Thank you, Layer," Zero said with a nod. "I know you'll help us a lot." He turned and walked out the door.

The room melted away and Sharon was back in the memory room. "Woah..." she gulped as she watched the sphere float away. "That was... disturbing..." She scratched her chin in nervous thought, then quickly decided that it would probably be best if she didn't tell anyone about this, especially Iris. With the secret safely tucked away in her mind, she ran back to join her friends.

"Has anyone found anything?" X asked as they reconvened.

"No," Sharon replied.

"Nope..." Darren said, shaking his head. "It's like this whole area is sealed off..."

"That can't be right..." X grumbled. "The professor said that the wire would connect us..."

Suddenly, the Hunters became aware of the toll of a bell. It was deep and rich, but sounded far away. "What...?" Darren started.

A small, pink sphere floated down from nearby. It shook, and the bell sounded again. "Another memory?" Sharon asked, regarding the object. "But it's colored differently..."

It tolled again, and started to drift away slowly, as if beckoning to them.

"...Do you suppose it wants to be followed?" Darren asked.

"We don't have many other options..." X admitted.

The threesome followed the tolling sphere all around the dome, wondering where it could be taking them. The sphere drifted along lazily, but kept a steady pace. Finally, it stopped at one side. Everyone looked around, but there were no tunnels.

"Here?" Darren asked. "But I looked over here already!"

The sphere simply hovered there, tolling every so often.

"I'm starting to wonder just what memory this is..." X said, reaching up and grabbing it.

Just like before, the world around them changed. This time, they stood in the center of a church. It must have been a sunny, day outside; the stained-glass windows cast beautiful auras of pink, green, violet and yellow on the red-carpeted floor. A breeze blew through the open door, carrying a scent of spring.

"Woah... What's this?" Sharon asked. "I never took Zero for a religious guy..."

The Hunters looked around. Professor Smith, Darren, Sharon, Snake Man and other Reploids and humans were seated in the aisles, all smiling or blinking away happy tears. "Hey, what's this all about?" Darren asked. "Is this a funeral or something?"

"If it were a funeral, why would they be smiling?" X reasoned. "...I think it's a wedding."

"A wedding?" Darren asked. "How nice!"

"Yeah, but whose wedding?..." Sharon asked.

X looked up towards the altar and grinned. "Guess," he said.

Darren and Sharon looked; Zero and Iris stood side by side at the altar. Zero wore a sporty-looking black tuxedo and red tie, and Iris wore a gorgoeous lavender wedding gown. X stood in front of them, apparently reading something out loud.

"...If there are no objections... Then with the power vested in me by the International Organization of Maverick Hunters, I now pronounce you husband and wife," X said, snapping the book shut and grinning widely. "You may kiss the bride."

Zero and Iris kissed, and all of their friends cheered.

"Awwww," Darren sighed, rubbing his hands together. "Isn't that sweet?"

"Boy, you wouldn't expect to see this in Zero's head," Sharon said, scratching her head. "But is this a memory? It couldn't be, could it? You, me, an' the prof are all sitting there!"

The scene ended, and they were back in the room. "I don't think that WAS a memory," X said. "It must have been a wish... a fantasy."

Darren began to say something when they heard a small click. A circle appeared on the wall in front of them, and then vanished to reveal a tunnel.

"Hey! What do you know?" Sharon asked. "Here it is!"

"But why did it appear now?..." Darren asked.

"Maybe it was because of that fantasy," X suggested. "When Zero thought about Iris, maybe the doorway to her mind opened up, like some sort of psychic connection..."

"...Wow," Darren remarked. "That's deep."

"Well, let's hurry on!" X said, starting into the tunnel. "If this is open, whatever's inside of Iris could move into Zero!"

"Right behind you!" Sharon said. Darren and she started forward when another orange sphere floated down before them, blocking their way.

"...Huh?..." Sharon asked, looking at it. "This one just came over to us... Do you think it wants to be seen?"

"Come on, Sharon," Darren replied. "We don't have time!"

The sphere shook violently. "HOW COULD YOU, X?!" it screamed in Zero's voice; it was so loud that both Hunters jumped. "YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!!!"

The talking ceased and was replaced with the sounds of blows; someone punching, and someone else getting punched, with little whines of pain and anger every so often.

Darren and Sharon watched it with baited breath until it silenced and floated away. They exchanged nervous glances with each other. "What... was that?..." Darren asked.

"I..." Sharon started.

"Guys!" X called from inside the tunnel. "Get in here, quickly!"

Darren and Sharon looked at each other again. "Should we...?" Sharon asked.

Darren thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Let's worry about Iris right now," he replied.

Sharon nodded, and the two friends turned and ran into the tunnel.

* * *

They left Zero's memory banks and walked through a long, circular tunnel. "This must be the wire that Professor Smith attached between Iris and Zero," Sharon commented. "It feels like a skyway, doesn't it?"

"I wish it had windows, though," Darren chuckled. "I'd go and wave to myself."

"Look," X said, pointing. "There's an exit up ahead. We're heading into Iris..."

"Watch out for whatever's messing around in here," Darren warned. "Remember what Professor Smith said..."

They stepped out of the tunnel into another domed room. Once again, orange and pink spheres floated around aimlessly. "...Should we stop and look around here?" Darren asked. "Whatever's attacking her could be able to go inside memories, after all."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look..." X said. "See any spheres within reach?"

An orange sphere hovered down next to Darren. "Here's one," he said, reaching up and poking it.

The room shifted, and the Hunters found themselves standing in a large, outdoor auditorium painted entirely yellow. Rows of seats stretched as far as they could see. X looked around and frowned. "...Memorial Hall," he said.

"Memorial Hall?" Darren asked. "Hey, I know about that place! It's Japan's finest auditorium, where symphonies and theaters play."

"It's still around?..." X asked. "Back during the Maverick Wars, Repliforce met there to plan strategy and military actions... This is where the General decided to battle for independence."

A tall, buff Reploid appeared on the stage, pacing around, his jaw set in grim dilemma, as if he was waiting for someone. "X, what's goin' on here?" Darren asked. "Isn't that the guy Dr. Ribosome set on us?"

"I think his name's Colonel," Sharon explained. "Wasn't he the second in command at Repliforce?"

"Yes..." X replied, "...and Iris's older brother... the one who's inside the professor's computer right now."

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the roof of the gathering place. "Colonel!" it thundered. Colonel and the others looked up and saw Zero, a chilly wind blowing his hair around.

"So, this is where he went off to..." X muttered to himself.

"I'm disappointed in you!" Zero shouted. With a battle cry he bounded down to the stage and pulled out his saber.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Colonel asked, frowning at his old friend.

"It's not too late," Zero warned. "Stop the coup, now, before anyone else gets hurt..."

"...Never," Colonel answered calmly. "We must be independent. I will follow my orders."

"...Then I'll follow mine," Zero growled, readying his sword. "Get ready!"

Colonel produced his own sword, and their sabers clashed, sparks flying every which way. The two swordsmen slashed and sliced, with neither side relenting. They finally met in a deadlock in the center of the stage.

"Wow," Darren admitted. "I knew Zero was good with a sword, but..."

"Come on, Zero!" Sharon cheered, throwing punches. "Nail 'im! Nail 'im!"

"Shhh!" X shushed her. "I want to watch this!"

Both fighters strained, and bounded away from the deadlock. Colonel, unfortunately, recovered quicker and lunged at Zero with a mortal blow.

"Oh, crap!" Sharon yelped. "I can't watch!"

"Stop! Please!" a voice cried behind the Hunters.

Everyone turned and looked. An out-of-breath Iris stopped in front of the stage and looked up at the two warriors with teary eyes.

"Enter Iris, again," Darren remarked.

"Well, this IS her memory," X said.

"Brother, please!" Iris pleaded. "Don't you remember? Zero saved my life!"

Colonel frowned at his sister, but slowly lowered his sword. "...All right," he said to Zero. "I do owe you for saving my sister... Pray that we don't meet again before this is over."

He stomped off, leaving Zero, Iris and the three viewers. "...And Iris soothes the savage beast," Sharon commented wryly.

Iris turned to Zero and clasped her hands. "Please, Zero, don't fight my brother..." she begged. "If you do, I'm afraid one of you might..."

Zero jumped down from the stage and turned his back. "I'm sorry, Iris..." He said. "Repliforce is threatening peace... and as a Hunter, I have to take care of it..."

"Zero!..." Iris whimpered.

Zero turned and looked at her sad face and his frown melted. "...I'll try to reason with Colonel if I run into him again..." he said, "but I can't promise anything."

"Thank you..." she whispered. "...Just try..."

Zero turned and left the auditorium. The world darkened and the Hunters were back in Iris's dome.

"...That was interesting," Sharon remarked.

"No wonder she got so upset," Darren said. "Zero was on a serious rush!"

"He was afraid that Repliforce was going to attack the humans," X replied. "Nobody wanted that. He saw that as a priority over keeping Iris's favor; too bad he wasn't able to have both. He saved the humans, but Iris..."

"Hey, it's OK now!" Sharon said. "Iris is alive, and the humans are just fine. Can't we all just put this behind us?"

"Some of us can..." X sighed. He was quiet for a moment, then shook his head. "Come on, let's keep searching."

Sharon spied a pink sphere coming towards them. "Well, maybe it's inside a fantasy?" she asked, reaching for it.

"Wait, Sharon, I don't know if-" X started.

Sharon touched the sphere and the room changed again, this time into a dimly-lit, small place.

X fell on something soft and bouncy; he looked down and saw he was sitting on a bed. "Whew... I was worried what we would land in," he said.

He glanced up and noticed that Sharon and Darren were standing at the side of the bed, their eyes wide and their mouths open. "...What?" he asked.

Darren, unable to speak, simply pointed. X turned, yelped and fell off of the bed.

Amidst the soft, satin sheets, clad in only their undergarments, cradled in each other's arms, lay Zero and Iris. Both looked happy and at peace.

"Mmmm..." Iris sighed, massaging Zero's chest with her cheek. "This is like a dream come true..."

"I never thought life would turn out like this," Zero replied, rubbing her back. "It's more than I could ever ask for..."

"OK, if they get any more touchy-feely, I want to leave," Sharon growled, inching away. "I'm... not comfortable with this."

"Don't worry," Darren said, "I think they're, um, done... They're just talking now."

"Zero..." Iris said, staring off into space. "What do you see... in the future?"

"Our future?" Zero asked. "...I see myself being the happiest I'll ever be..."

"That's good... but I meant about us..." she said.

"Us?" he repeated. "Well... maybe we'll get a place of our own... move out to the country... somewhere we can watch the stars... maybe raise a couple kids..."

"Kids?..." Iris said. "I'd... like that... but what about hunting Mavericks?"

"We'd get it to work..." he sighed, leaning further back into his pillow. "We've gone this far, after all..."

Iris sighed happily and closed her eyes. "Oh, Zero..." she murmured.

The darkness got darker and then the domed room reappeared. There was an unpleasant silence.

"...Um..." X started.

"No one will ever speak of it again," Sharon growled.

"L-let's move on, shall we?" Darren asked, his face flushed red. "Where else could something be?"

"Check another sphere," Sharon suggested. "Just... not a pink one."

An orange sphere fluttered by X. "OK," he said, reaching up and grabbing it.

The Hunters were suddenly in a large room filled with monitors. Several Reploids sat at the monitors, typing on keyboards and talking into headsets.

Sharon recognized the place immediately. "Hey, this is-" she started, but recalling the other memory, decided to clam up.

"Maverick Hunter Headquarters..." X finished.

"But Iris wasn't a Hunter," Darren objected. "Why would she remember this place?"

"There was one time when Iris worked with the Hunters..." X recalled. "If I remember correctly..."

X walked over to one of the monitors and peered at the Reploid in front of it. "Yup!" he said. "Over here."

Darren and Sharon walked over, too. Iris sat at the monitor, wearing a headset and typing away furiously. Sweat was present on her face, and her hair was in a slight state of disarray. Still, she wore an expression of relief.

"Iris was a navigator?" Darren asked.

"She watched Zero and me during the Erasure Incident," X said. "That was the first time we met, really... and the first time she met Zero."

"Ah, I see..." Sharon said, nodding. "So, where is he?"

"From the look of things, I think we'll be coming in in just-" X started.

Just then, the door opened and very exhausted-looking X and Zero walked in. Her eyes bright, Iris took off her headset and ran to them. "X! Zero! Welcome back!!!" she exclaimed. Her outburst drew all the other Reploids' attentions and a vigorous round of applause and cheering erupted.

"Oh, gee..." the memory X chuckled, scratching his head embarrassedly. "Please, it was... it was nothing. Really!"

"Thank you..." Zero said calmly, acknowledging the applause. Just then, he put his hand down warmly on Iris's shoulder; she yelped in surprise at it. "But really, we didn't do it alone. We all owe just as much thanks to Iris for staying calm and helping us find our way across the island."

Another round of applause burst, and Iris blushed deeply. "Umm... Th-thanks..." she managed.

"Wow," Darren said. "This must have been big!"

"Yeah," X agreed. "The Erasure Incident was a horrible ideal, and it was the first job that Iris was put on. We owed her a lot..."

"Hey, something else is going on!" Sharon said. "Watch!"

The other Reploids started to file out of the room for other locations. Memory X chuckled a bit. "Well, I guess that's enough excitement for one day," he said. "If you two need me, I'll be taking a nice, hot shower." He turned and walked out the door.

There was a moment of silence. "Well, I guess that's that," Zero said.

"I'm just glad it all turned out well," Iris replied, looking at her shoes and blushing a bit. "I... was worried."

Zero smiled warmly. "You did great," he said. "I wish the other navigators were as calm as you."

"Th-thank you..." Iris stammered.

Zero scratched the back of his head. "Um... Iris..." he said. "Would you, uh..."

"Yes?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Would you, er, like to, uh, go out for lunch sometime?" he asked, blushing a little himself.

Iris beamed. "I... I'd love to," she said quietly. Both Reploids smiled happily.

The scene faded out, and once again the domed room reappeared.

"So..." Sharon said, scratching her chin again. "That's how it all started?"

"How interesting..." Darren remarked. "We've seen every phase of Iris and Zero's friendship, here... Do you suppose we've been shown this for a reason, or...?"

"Let's not theorize just now," X said, walking around. "We have to find what's attacking Iris!"

"But the prof said it was attacking random spots..." Sharon pointed out. "If that's the case, how would we ever-"

"Shh!" Darren suddenly hissed, putting a finger to his mouth. "...Do you hear something?"

Everyone listened. A faint, hollow clatter resounded from across the room. It sounded as if something had been thrown.

X readied his X-Buster. "It's here," he said quickly, getting low and slowly walking towards the sound. Sharon and Darron followed suit so as not to draw attention to themselves.

The threesome followed the sounds behind one of the large mounds. Standing in the midst of green-glowing spheres and throwing undesired ones every which way was a tall, thin, purple bird Reploid with long, spikey green feathers jutting from his back. He looked very irritated as he checked each sphere and then threw it away. "No... No... No! Blast it all, where are they?!" he swore. "I MUST have them!"

"I know him..." X growled. "That's Cyber Peacock, a computer entity..."

"Cyber Peacock?" Sharon asked. "But he was locked up in Donnerstag's lab!"

"Peacock isn't a Reploid; not really," X explained. "Whatever it was in Donnerstag's lab, it must have been just a model..."

"Hey, you! Beak brain!" Darren yelled angrily, stepping into the open and readying his cannon. "Get your hands off those and get out of Iris's head!"

Peacock simply smirked and launched a barrage of his needle-sharp quills. The shield vest that Darren wore kept him safe, but several of the quills pinned him to the floor. "Ooogh! Well, the direct approach didn't work too well..." he grumbled.

Cyber Peacock looked at X and Sharon and chuckled. "Ah, Mega Man X! I'm surprised you took such a risk to come here," he said, grinning cruelly. "...And to even bring more organics in with you!"

"...Organics?" Darren asked.

"Non-photonics," Peacock elaborated with a laugh. "Say what you will about Reploids and Mavericks, but photonics are the TRUE supreme beings!"

"Supreme beings...?" Sharon asked.

"Quite," Peacock replied. "You're looking at the reason why! What other species can ruin lesser beings from the inside out?"

"What are you here for?" X demanded. "Why are you hurting Iris?"

"What I want? That's none of your business," Peacock cackled, "but I can tell you that I'm under orders to get them in any way possible! If your pathetic friend dies... so be it."

"You know we disagree," X growled angrily, showing his X-Buster. "Leave now!"

"Bah!" Cyber Peacock fumed. "You'll protect any of your friends, won't you? That's why you organics are such weaklings..." He rose into the air and his quills jutted out from all angles. "I've been waiting to get even with you for a long time, X! Get ready!!!"

Cyber Peacock fired his homing quill missiles straight at X and Sharon. X dashed away and leaped over the barrage sent his way, but Sharon freaked out and took three needles to the torso. She crashed to the groud, smoke rising from the impact areas. Peacock laughed and vanished.

* * *

Sharon's body twitched around in her chair. "What?! What's wrong?!" Snake Man asked as he watched.

"Her nervous system is in shock," Smith growled, trying to hold her steady. "Her brain thinks her body is hurt, so it's reacting. They must be fighting something in there!"

"Can't we do anything to help them?" Snake Man asked. "This is horrible!"

"All we can do is watch... and pray," Smith admitted sadly. "Hang in there, guys..."

* * *

"Agh... Couldn't get away... fast enough!..." Sharon grunted, trying to get up.

"Sharon, are you OK?!" X asked.

"Shouldn't be distracted, boy!" Peacock laughed, reappearing behind X and spiking him with quills. He yelped and fell to his knees.

"Leave my friends alone!!!" Darren yelled as he tore himself free of the quills and fired his buster. One of his blasts hit Peacock smack in the jaw. The bird turned on Darren with a sick smile.

"Ooh, you're going to be even more fun to kill," he laughed as he started towards the human. "Why is one of your kind even here?..."

"Even if I'm a human, Iris is my friend," Darren growled, "and nobody hurts her on my watch!" He raised his buster and fired again.

Peacock vanished, then appeared behind Darren and caught him in a bear hug. "She DOES think very highly of you..." he chuckled. "That will make this all the more fun!"

"Fun for me, you mean!" Darren huffed, quickly stomping on Peacock's foot. The bird screeched and released his grip, allowing Darren to roll away and pop off a few more shots.

"Agh! Urrrgh!" Peacock grunted as Darren's salvo hit his chest. His eyes fixed on the boy in a rage as he flew at him. Darren raised to fire again, but Peacock shot a quill that into his arm, rendering it numb and useless. The threat gone, Peacock caught him in another tight squeeze.

"Darren!!!" Sharon yelled, raising her S-Buster and firing a fiery shot. Peacock swatted the blast away and then launched another quill. The spike embedded itself in her cannon and shorted it out. She yelled in pain and then fell to the ground again.

"Organics are such rotten creatures," Peacock chuckled, tightening his grip. "I exist as simply a data file... but you, you rely on food and water to survive! Always shedding your skin and hair everywhere, and when you eat, the food falls into a pit of acids to be digested... You can't even stand to think about it yourselves, can you?! What disgusting creatures you are!!!"

Darren tried to break free, but Peacock only squeezed harder. "You think you're the dominant species on this planet," he continued, "but you're no better than any filthy animal, and I'm ashamed to be made in your image!!! The world will be better off with you gone!"

As Peacock taunted, he didn't notice X getting to his feet. Quiet as can be, the blue Hunter lifted his X-Buster and fired. The blast struck the Maverick in the back, and he screamed and dropped Darren. As he fell, Darren turned around and fired a few more times, sending Peacock to the ground.

"Agghhh!!!" Peacock squawked as he fell to his knees. "Disgusting organics!!!"

"What were you saying about our friendships making us weak?" X asked, approaching Peacock and readying his buster again.

"Grrrr..." Peacock growled.

"Stand down; you've lost!" Darren warned, training his own cannon.

"I... I refuse to lose to inferior life forms!!!" Peacock snarled. With another screech, he threw himself at X. One last shot was all it took. X's weapon drive showed that he had received the AIMING LASER.

"Is... Is it over?..." Sharon panted, getting to her feet and limping over to X and Darren.

"Yeah... It is..." Darren replied.

"This might come in handy some day," X said, looking at his weapon array. "We'd better get going... We have to make room for the professor to repair any damage..."

X touched his hand to his helmet. "Professor, we're done here," he said. "You can bring us out now."

"You got it, X," Smith's voice crackled. "Good work, guys. Hang on for just a minute..."

* * *

Half a moment later, X, Sharon and Darren removed their visors; they were back in the real world, safe and sound. Professor Smith smiled at them. "So, how was it?" he asked.

"Not as bad as I thought it would be," Darren said, deciding to leave out the eerie audio he had heard. "It... answered a lot of questions."

"Urrggghhh..." Zero groaned, his eyes opening. "Did... did it work?..." he asked, looking at the threesome.

"Work?" Sharon gulped, also deciding to omit some of the things she had learned. "Yeah... Yeah, it worked. Iris is going to be fine."

"Thank God..." Zero panted. Smith disconnected the wire in the Hunter's head, and bandaged the incision. He then got off the table and turned to Iris, who was still out cold. "Iris... Iris?" he asked quietly. "Iris, wake up..."

"It'll still be a while, Zero," Smith said. "I need to repair everything that was wrecked... That shouldn't take me more than an hour, though. Why don't you all rest until then?"

"Good idea..." Sharon said, rubbing her arm. "Whew! I was worried that my arm really got busted..."

"Let's go up to the cafe," X said. "I'm a little hungry... Come on, Zero."

X, Zero, Sharon and Darren headed out of the lab to let Smith and Snake Man patch up. As they walked up the stairs, Darren caught up with Zero. "So... Are you feeling OK?" he asked.

"...Better..." Zero replied, still not entirely friendly with the human. Still, recent events had made him start to think. "So... you helped save Iris?" he asked.

"Yeah," Darren answered. "I mean, I didn't finish the fight, but..."

Zero nodded. "...Thank you," he said quickly.

Darren's eyes widened; Zero had never thanked him for anything before. "Well, uh... You're welcome!" he replied. "So, do you like muffins?"

* * *

The cleanup went well, and Iris made a full recovery, much to everyone's relief. On Christmas Day, Professor Smith threw a party at the museum for the Hunters. There was lots of great food and music and dancing, in addition to exchanging gifts. A bit later, though, everyone took it pretty easy.

"Hey X," Darren said as he spoke to X, who was standing off in a doorway drinking a glass of egg nog. "Nice job on finding a tree. It's way nicer than some phony one."

"Thanks, Darren," X said, "but those real trees leak sticky sap like nobody's business..."

"He's right, you know," Zero said. X turned around to show that Zero's hand was stuck to his back. "I'm trying to find a solvent, but..."

"That's why you should wipe your hand on a napkin," X grumbled.

Darren laughed. "Heh heh heh! Good to see you guys having fun. But, uh... You sure you wanna be standing there?"

"Hmm?" X asked, swallowing his drink. "What do you mean?"

Iris walked up to the small gathering with a big smile. She moved in and gave all three of them big kisses, then handed them some presents. "Merry Christmas, guys!" she chuckled, then walked off.

X glanced upwards. Sure enough, a bough of mistletoe was hanging above them.

"I am now," X answered Darren's question.

"I have no problem with it," Zero admitted.

Darren chuckled. "Hey, let's see what she gave us!" he suggested.

They each unwrapped their gifts. Zero got a book on Civil War weaponry, X received a long, red scarf and Darren found a popcorn butter dispenser for his car.

"Wonderful," Zero said with a smile.

"Awesome!" X exclaimed. "I lost the other one of these I had; this is great!"

"Heh," Darren said with a grin. "She's speaking my language now!"

* * *

Afternoon's orange sky soon turned a dark azure, and St. Paul's holiday lights sparkled in the streets. A light snow sprinkled from the heavens. The world looked totally at peace.

"That sure was a nice Christmas party," Zero commented as Iris and he stood out on the museum's walkway, sharing one last glass of nog.

"Yeah. Bright lights and gifts make me feel all warm inside," Iris said, leaning gently against Zero's chest and adjusting her new sparkly, violet beret; it had been his gift to her. "Look at all the lights around the city, Zero. It's so magical..."

"...I never really believed in magic... until you came back, that is," Zero replied, smiling. "Something died inside of me on that day, but it came back when you did. Magic... Perhaps that's the very essence of all of this... Some kindly power has given us another chance... and I plan to do things right this time."

"Oh, Zero..." Iris sighed, wrapping her arms around him and gazing lovingly into his eyes.

"Awww, isn't that cute?" Darren asked. X and he were watching the lovers from the entrance. "That's so touching..."

"Yes," X replied. "It's very nice. I hope that someday, everyone can find someone to share moments with like that..."

"Yeah, me too..." Darren replied. He turned around and grinned. "But in the meantime, we have top-quality entertainment right here."

X turned and, with Snake Man and the professors, watched Sharon dance around on a table, hooting and hollering with a glass of spiked nog in her hand and lampshade on her head.


	6. Renewal

**CHAPTER 6**

**RENEWAL**

A week after Christmas came another holiday that everyone enoyed: New Year's. Almost as soon as the mistletoe was taken down everything exploded in a bustle of activity to celebrate the Earth's next revolution. As reparations for "ruining" his Christmas celebration, Peabody gave the Hunters the pleasant chore of cleaning the museum from top to bottom in preparation for the event.

"Aww, man..." Sharon grumbled as she wiped down a glass container. Her fingers stank of glass cleaner, and she thought they might fall off at any moment. "Why'd we get stuck doing this?"

"Let's see..." Darren replied, putting down his broom and counting on his fingers. "You built a snowman indoors, you got totally smashed at the party... and you decorated Peabody's face with tinsel."

Sharon's eyes narrowed. "It was a rhetorical question!" she snapped.

Darren grinned. "I know. That's why I answered it," he replied.

Sharon was about to drop her rag and go over there when Iris appeared with a vacuum cleaner and broke it up. "Calm down, you two!" she said. "We'll never get this done if you keep picking fights with each other."

"Sorry, Iris," Darren apologized, picking up his broom. "I guess we're all a bit tired."

"No kidding!" Sharon grumbled, going back to cleaning the display. "This would be easier if X and Zero were helping. Where are those bums?!"

Iris sighed. "Peabody told them to go out and get some supplies for the festivities. Zero told me they'd be stopping for lunch, too."

"Lunch?!" Sharon yelled. "Urrrgghhh... Ducking out when there's work to be done... What a typical guy move!"

"Hey!" Darren objected.

"Well, if you'd seen the huge list of junk that Peabody asked them to get..." Iris sighed. "It's no wonder they wanted a break."

"Sure, sure, everyone needs a break," Sharon grumbled, "...but why do they get lunch on theirs?!"

"Nobody said they had to be the only ones," Darren said. "How 'bout I order a pizza?"

"Did someone say 'pizza?'" Snake Man asked, suddenly dropping down from the ceiling with a cobweb duster.

"Hey, I'm up for that!" Professor Smith announced, rushing in with his mop and soap bucket.

Iris sighed. "All right, but if anyone spills anything on the rugs, YOU'RE cleaning it up."

* * *

The staff of the Little Luna cafe gave each other weird looks, then hurried off to cook the orders. Though it was true that the Science Museum staff were regulars at the quaint little place, no one had ever seen X and Zero come in when the sun was still up.

"Whew... I'm bushed," X sighed as he gratefully sat down on a cushy barstool; it made a sighing sound as his weight sank into it.

"What could Peabody want with all this stuff...?" Zero grumbled, sipping his complimentary glass of water. "He said we were shopping for party goods."

"Light bulbs, toilet paper, several types of batteries..." X repeated off of a list. "It sounds like he's restocking the whole museum. Or rather, WE are..."

Zero nodded crossly, then sighed. "I suppose we should be thankful, though," he said. "Agile hasn't tried anything since Christmas."

"It's nice to have a week off," X agreed, "but I wonder what he's up to?"

"Professor Smith said that all the new Reploids in this era are immune to viruses," Zero said. "Fortunately, none of them have copy chips either... but that's beside the point. If Agile was trying to make more Mavericks, there's no way he could..."

"Yeah, and all the new Reploids who were working for him were doing it on their own," X replied, drumming his fingers on the table. "It's a mystery, all right..."

"Maybe Agile pays better," Zero said.

X raised an eyebrow, then chuckled lightly. He hadn't heard Zero crack a joke in a long time. Needless to say, he was out of practice.

The bell over the door jingled and someone walked in and sat down on the stool next to X. "What'll you have?" the waiter asked, obviously recognizing him as a regular.

"Water," the man replied. His voice was young, like Zero's, but more smooth. X turned and regarded the fellow. He wore a long, gray trenchcoat and a pair of dark sunglasses amid his brown hair. A bright yellow scarf was tucked securely around his neck. All around him was an aura of secrecy.

The waiter handed him a tall glass of iced water. He took it in a red-gloved hand and sipped it slowly. X and Zero's pancake meals arrived and they tucked in, thankful for the sustenance after their hard morning work.

"Nice," X commented as he ate. "They make great burgers, and these are just as good!"

"Yes," Zero agreed. "This place never disappoints."

X swallowed another forkful of the syrupy goodness when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. The strange man was staring at them, his eyes still hidden beneath his shades.

He put down his utensils and turned to the fellow. "Uh... May I help you?" he asked.

"Relaxing?" the man replied. "That's healthy, but don't get complacent."

X scratched his chin in confusion. "...I'm sorry?" he asked.

"Trouble's always brewing," the man said. "It's always on a stove. Only so often does it boil over."

X raised an eyebrow. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something about the fellow was very familiar.

"What do you mean?" Zero asked, turning to regard the conversation.

The man didn't even acknowledge him; he just kept looking at X. "...Some suspicious Reploids were seen near the ruins of Light's lab," he said. "Being who you are, I thought you should know."

X blinked a few times. "Dr. Light's lab?" he asked. "But... what could be there?"

The man finished his water and set the glass down, then got off of his stool. "...Perhaps you should investigate, before they uncover something they shouldn't," he said, turning to leave.

"Hang on," Zero growled, clapping his hand on the man's shoulder. "How do you know this? Do you work for Agile? Answer me!"

The man's jaw locked. Half a second later, Zero tumbled back into the counter, snarling and nursing his blackened wrist. "...Finish your pancakes," the man said. "You'll need the energy." With that, he strode out the door.

"Argh..." Zero groaned, rubbing his arm. "What a grip..."

X stared after the man, not knowing just what to think. "Light's lab..." he repeated. "Why would he tell me that?"

Zero got to his feet and scowled at the empty glass on the counter. "...Urrgh..." he grumbled.

X looked at Zero thoughtfully, then grabbed his cap. "...Can we get a doggie bag over here?" he asked.

* * *

"Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-MMM!" Sharon commented as she plaintively chewed on her slice. "That's good stuff!"

Everyone was sitting in a circle in the museum lobby, the large pizza box open in the center. Everyone was savoring the extra large pepperoni-and-sausage pie.

"This is nice," Snake Man agreed. "This is the perfect break."

"What makes it even sweeter?" Darren laughed. "We're all done cleaning!"

"Yeah..." Iris said. "We really worked fast after you called this in, didn't you?"

"Dinosaurs are dusted, windows are wiped down and the bathrooms all have that lemon-fresh scent..." Smith said as he scribbled on a list. "Yeah, we ARE finished. Good work, everyone. Now we can relax and have a nice New Year's Eve..."

Just then, the doors opened and X and Zero came in with their excessive loads. "Hey, guys!" X panted under the weight of the bags. "A little help, please?!"

Everyone broke out of the circle and ran to help the two with the bags. "Whew!" Sharon panted as she grabbed two sacks stuffed with lightbulbs. "What, does Peabody think there's a blackout coming or something?! These won't help!"

"Thanks, guys," X said as everyone grabbed some sacks and carried them to the storage area. "Now, professor, I have a favor to ask..."

"Yeah, what's that?" Smith asked.

X told Smith what the mysterious fellow at the cafe had told him. "...I'd like to check it out," he finished. "Can you pinpoint the lab? I still don't quite know my way around the new world yet..."

"No problem," Smith replied as he motioned for everyone to follow him. "I can get you there in no time flat! Come on!"

Everybody followed the unshaven genius down towards his lab, and the entrance was quiet again. Well, not for long it wasn't.

"Smith!" Peabody shouted as he entered. "Smith! Tell your Reploids to go back and- WHOOP!!!" He slipped and fell on top of half of a gooey, crusty substance. "WHAT IS HALF A PIZZA IS DOING ON THE FLOOR?!"

* * *

Smith's fingers flew like the wind as he directed the iMarc to run a scan for laboratory ruins. "Do you know what country Light's lab was in, X?" he asked as everyone crowded around.

"When I was first activated, Dr. Cain said he'd unearthed me somewhere in Japan," X replied.

"Good," Smith answered. "That narrows my search a lot. Now..."

"...But I've also read that Dr. Light had two labs," X continued. "One in Japan and the other here in the States..."

Smith frowned. "Wonderful," he sighed. "OK, I'll try searching for labs with active Reploid signatures nearby."

"Why would this guy have two labs?" Sharon asked.

"Maybe he had a few different projects running," Darren suggested. "Science takes up lots of space, you know."

"What do you suppose could be there?" Zero asked. "Those labs must be at least two hundred years old... What could Agile want?... I don't trust that trenchcoated guy, either."

Smith frowned and was about to say something when the iMarc beeped. "I've got it!" he exclaimed, turning back to the screen. "There are several Reploids inside the United States division of Light Labs. I guess that's where they are!"

"Let's go and see," Iris said. "I'll come with you, X."

"As will I," Zero added. "In case things get rough..."

"Well, my interests've been peaked," Smith chuckled. "Mind if I tag along? You might need me."

"It could be dangerous," X warned.

"Hey, I'm going with three top Hunters!" Smith said. "What have I to worry about?"

Iris couldn't help but blush. "OK, professor, you can come," she said.

"Hey, can we come, too?" Snake Man asked. Darren and Sharon looked hopeful.

Suddenly, Peabody's angry voice boomed from nearby. "Uh... I think you guys have a mission right here," Iris gulped. "OK, we'll see you when we get back!"

X, Iris, Zero and Smith walked quickly out of the room. "Oh, boy..." Darren gulped. "Peabody sounds mad..."

"No kidding!" Sharon replied. "...Hey, where'd we leave that pizza?"

* * *

X, Zero, Iris and Professor Smith stepped though the teleporter and reappeared in a thick forest. All around them were lush, leafy trees, undisturbed by the onslaught of technology that had enveloped the rest of the world. The fresh scents of spring and moss filled the air, and the leaf-coated ground made a crunching noise when they walked.

"How pretty!" Iris exclaimed. "This is nice!"

"Amazing..." X said. "I've never seen a forest that was so... well, organic."

"Where are we, exactly?" Iris asked.

Smith looked up at the trees. "You wouldn't believe it..." he said, "...but we're in Kansas."

"Kansas?" Zero asked. "Isn't that a prairie state?"

"Apparently not," X sighed. "Someone's been growing trees... Lots of them."

"Maybe the fact that these trees are so natural is because no one's been around here in a long time," Iris suggested. "You know, two hundred years, maybe?"

"I like the way you think," Smith said. "That lab should be here somewhere..."

Suddenly, a shot rang out and something knicked Iris's hair. Everyone whirled around to see several green-armored Reploids leaping seemingly out of the ground, busters at ready.

"...I think we found it," Zero growled, readying his blade.

"Now!!!" the lead Reploid shouted, and the forest exploded with gunfire. Professor Smith rolled behind a tree while the Hunters leaped into action.

X readied his buster shot at the enemies' guns. The Reploids obviously were not trained soldiers; their cannons flew from their hands without a hitch and they took off screaming. The others needed no encouragement; they dropped their weapons and reached for the sky.

"Agh! P-please, mercy!!!" one of them begged.

"What the...?" Zero asked, lowering his blade and watching the spectacle. "Who ARE these guys?"

"...Are you working for Agile?" Iris asked, walking towards the surrendering Reploids. "What did he ask you to do here?"

The begging Reploid dropped to his knees. "D-don't hurt us!" he whined. "We're j-just following orders! We don't even know what he wants!"

X raised an eyebrow. "You don't know?" he asked. "You didn't put up much of a fight... Are you even combat Reploids?"

"M-my name is Larson," the Reploid said. "Please... We don't know anything!"

Zero frowned. "Agile needs to rethink his hiring policy if he's sending these schmucks out to work..." he said.

Iris knelt down and looked Larson straight in the eye. "You REALLY don't know anything?" she asked.

"Cross my heart and hope to die!" Larson replied. "We don't know what's down there... We couldn't even get in the door!"

Iris hesitated, then nodded. "OK. You can leave, then."

Larson and all of his friends nodded fervently, making sounds of gratefulness. They quickly got up and ran out of the woods.

"Whew..." Smith sighed, coming up behind the Hunters. "That was weird."

"It sure was," Iris replied. "I'm just glad we solved it without much violence."

A humored snort escaped Zero. "You sound just like X," he said.

Iris blushed. X chuckled a bit. "Heh... Maybe," he replied. "Let's check that place they came out of."

The four friends walked behind the bush the Reploids had popped out of. Much to their delight, they saw a long, dark passageway going down into the earth.

"Well, they didn't lie about something being here," Smith said.

"Who's going first?" X asked.

Iris hopped onto the earthen steps and started down, followed by Zero, then X, then Smith. As soon as they had gone out of view of the entrance, they were enveloped in darkness. "Oh... I can't see anything," Iris sighed, squinting hard but unable to catch any light.

"Hang on," X said, fiddling with his armor. "I brought a flashlight... If I can just... Aha!"

A bright beam shone from a small object in his hand, illuminating the whole corridor. "That should help," Smith noted. "Let's keep moving!"

The party ventured down the tunnel, not knowing where it might lead. As they walked, they realized just how old the tunnel had to be; though some of the dirt piles were fairly new (probably disurbed by the other Reploids), the walls were hard and solid like bricks.

"Someone sure knew how to make a tunnel," Iris commented.

Zero rapped on the stone. "As hard as dry clay," he reported.

"I'd estimate this route is about two hundred years old," Smith suggested as he inspected the wall.

"Two hundred..." X sighed. "That sounds about right..."

Just then, the light picked out something shining far down the tunnel. "Hey, what's that?" X asked, peering ahead.

"A sparkle...Maybe something metallic?" Zero suggested.

"There's only one way to find out," Iris said, starting towards it.

Everyone followed Iris to the glittering object. It was a tall, flat sheet of metal that blocked the path. A large rectangular indentation lay in its center. A small, black metal box hung just to the side of the dent.

"Huh..." Smith said as he eyed it. "It kind of looks like a door..."

Zero walked up and pushed on the dent, but it wouldn't budge. "...Must be rusted shut," he concluded.

"This must be what those Reploids meant when they said they couldn't get in," X suggested.

Iris sighed and leaned against it. "Maybe it isn't meant to be opened?..." she suggested.

"Nahh, that can't be it," Smith replied. "If it wasn't supposed to be opened, nobody would have made that tunnel... or the door, for that matter."

"I guess..." Iris said, resting her hand on the metal. "I wonder if-"

Just then, a loud blaring alarm went off, scaring everyone half to death. "WHAAAGH!!!" Smith yelled. "Where'd that come from?!"

Iris's hands were over her ears, but out of the corner of her eye she noticed something; the black box was flashing red, an imprint of someone's hand in its center. "...Huh?" she asked.

The awful screech went on for a few moments more, then quieted. "Ugh..." Zero grumbled. "I didn't even see any speakers here..."

"What could have caused that?" X asked. "Did anyone do anything?"

"X, look!" Iris noted, pointing to the black box. "I think I put my hand on this. That must have been what set the alarm off!"

"This?" Smith asked, reaching out to touch it. "Could it-"

"Don't," Zero said, grabbing his hand. "I'd like to keep the hearing in my remaining ear, thank you."

"Maybe it's some kind of security?" Iris asked. "I saw my handprint flash on it... Maybe you need the right hand to get in."

"The right hand?" Zero asked.

"Yeah, some security systems work like that," Smith recalled. "It's like the retinal scanners for the vaults at the museum."

"Oh..." Zero said. "...But who could open it? Dr. Light certainly won't."

Iris scratched her chin for a moment, then looked at X. "X, you were made by Dr. Light, right? Maybe you can open it."

"Me?" X asked. It was true that he was built by Dr. Light, but as far as he remembered he had never left the capsule he was sealed in before Dr. Cain released him. How could his fingerprints be on a door? "But..." he started.

"It's worth a shot, right?" Smith asked. "Come on, X, be a good sport."

X glanced at the box and frowned. The shady man at the cafe seemed to think there was something important here, and that he could get at; perhaps he could learn a little more about himself or Dr. Light. A sigh escaped from his mouth. He wasn't sure if it would work or not, but he might as well try. "OK, then," he said, walking up to the box and putting his hand on it.

The box made some whirring noises, then flashed green with a melodic ring, and a golden X appeared in its center. The indentation clicked, then slid away. Absolute darkness lay beyond it.

"Well..." Smith said, peering in. "I guess we have to go in to see, huh?"

With X leading the way, the Hunters slowly crept into the room. In the small light that X's jewel gave off, they could make out several old control consoles and workbenches. Over in the corner were a discarded pile of yellow workers' helmets, and on the closest console was a large, yellowed scroll. The air was stale from the centuries of being locked, and the stench of mildew was pungent. The place had an eerie aura, as if it were a tomb not meant to be desecrated.

"So..." Zero said, glancing around. "There WAS something down here..."

"Whew..." Iris gulped. "It's warm in here, but I'm still getting chills."

"Yeah..." X agreed. "This is a bit creepy... Is it really Dr. Light's lab?"

Smith was over at the console, opening the scroll. After a few moments of consideration, he turned to everyone and showed it. "Take a look at this," he said.

Everyone glanced at the paper. It had several pictures of human-shaped figures, but they were needled by lots of arrows that led to patches of writing, both in English and Japanese characters. One of the figures looked very familiar indeed; it was a teenage boy wearing a helmet with a ruby in it.

"Design schematics..." Iris guessed. "Hey, that one looks like you, X!"

X regarded it and slowly nodded. "I guess this answers my question..." he said.

"Right," Smith said, rolling the blueprints up and putting them back. "Now, the big question is why we're here... Why ARE we here, X?"

X scratched his head. "I'm not entirely sure..." he admitted. "The guy in the restaurant just said I should check it out."

Smith hesitated, seeming to be wondering how to phrase his question. "Wait..." he said. "What did this guy look like?"

"He had brown hair, sunglasses and a trenchcoat," Zero said, flexing his tender arm. "...He had an iron grip, too."

Smith's eyes widened. "I see..." he said. "Well then, there must be something down here..."

"What?" X asked. "How do you know, professor?"

Smith started to say something when Iris gave a surprised yelp. "G-g-g-g..." she stuttered.

"What?" Smith asked; he noticed that X and Zero had grown pale as well. He looked where they were looking and turned white as a sheet.

Over by one of the desks a strange light had appeared. As everyone watched, it wavered and flickered. Slowly, it took on the shape of a husky old man with a flowing, white beard.

"Easy, now..." Smith gulped, backing up. "There're no such things as ghosts... are there?"

X had been nervous at first, but now he knew who the person was; it was someone who he'd seen countless times during his adventures. "Doctor Light!" he exclaimed.

Iris turned and looked at her friends. Smith looked confused, but Zero seemed to have calmed down as well. "Dr. Light?" she asked. "This is your creator, X?"

The figure smiled kindly, his face shifting in and out of focus. "Welcome home, X," he said in a warm, hearty voice. "I've been waiting for you."

Smith hesitated, then walked up to Dr. Light and waved his hand. It passed right through, but the departed doctor didn't even notice. "Oh..." he said. "Not a ghost... You're a hologram, aren't you?"

"If you're getting this message, you must have been activated," Light went on, his voice starting to scratch like the voices of drive-thru clerks. "I hope the world you're in now is better than the one I built you in."

"...A prerecorded hologram, at that," Smith finished. "No interaction..."

"I'm glad that you were able to live in peace," Light said. "I was worried that fate might decide otherwise..."

X sighed. "Definitely prerecorded," Zero grumbled.

Dr. Light paused and his smile faded. "Listen carefully, X," he said. "If you've come here, perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps the world still needs heroes... If you find that you're having a rough time of it going alone, I've prepared some help." He turned and pointed off into the darkness, and a light came on, illuminating another door.

"Woah..." Iris exclaimed.

"Go through there and awaken your siblings," Dr. Light said. "I had hoped that they would never need to know war again, but... hopefully, they will be able to help you through your dark times..." He nodded and smiled again. "Have faith, my son. I'll always be watching over you." With that, he fizzled out and the lab was silent again.

"Wow..." Smith said. "Now THAT is a dedicated man of science."

"You're lucky that you have such a nice creator, X," Iris said. "I wish mine had been that nice..."

Zero glanced towards the door. "...Siblings, eh?..." he asked.

"I guess we should go and check it out," Iris said. "Coming, X?"

X nodded slowly. "I wonder what he meant..." he murmured.

Zero started through the door, but suddenly he gave a yell and stumbled back. "Agh!!!" he cursed. "What was that?!"

"What was what?" Smith asked, walking to the door. "I don't feel anything."

Zero reached out and put his arm through the opening. Again a powerful electric jolt burst through him. "Ergh!..." he growled.

Iris passed under the door without any conflict, as did X. "That's weird..." X noted. "Why can we go through, but Zero can't?"

Iris thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up. "Aha!" she said. "You were made by Dr. Wily, right, Zero?"

Zero nodded slowly, then understood. "Ah... So none of Wily's creations can go in..." he said. "Good security."

"If that's the case, I guess you'll have to wait out here," X sighed. "Sorry, Zero."

"No problem," Zero replied, leaning against the wall. "Just don't screw around."

"Hey Zero," Smith suggested. "While we're in there, maybe you can download the lab's database for me? I'm sure there's some interesting stuff."

Zero frowned; he didn't like being thought of as a floppy disk, but if he couldn't go with them, he might as well be of some use. "OK," he replied. "I'll do that."

"Thanks, Zero," Iris said. "We'll be back before you know it!"

Iris, X and Smith disappeared into the room. Zero sighed and turned to a computer console. "Well, let's see what the dear old doctor was cooking up..." he muttered.

* * *

The new, small room was just as dark as the tunnel had been, and the air was even thicker. "Boy..." Iris said. "I'm glad I'm not claustrophobic..."

"If Dr. Light expected us to come in this closet, I'd have hoped he'd left some lights on," Smith grumbled. "I can't see a thing!"

X's flashlight picked out a small switch on the wall. "Maybe this will help," he said, reaching over and flipping it.

Slowly, the room began to brighten, and the Hunters saw what Dr. Light had left his last creation.

Four blue capsules lay against the wall. Like most of the other things in the ruined lab, they were coated with dust and had rust on their edges. On the bases of each capsule were golden labels bearing Japanese symbols that Professor Smith couldn't make out.

"What a find..." Smith said as he ran his fingers over the ancient writing. "...Nuts, I can't read this... X, can you translate these?"

"Well, I'll try," X said, kneeling down before the plates. "Sharon's really who you want for languages, but..." He quieted as he read the writing, and his eyes widened.

"What?" Iris asked. "What is it, X?"

"...It's a name," X said finally. "There's a robot inside this capsule..."

"What robot?" Smith asked. "Is that its name?"

"Yeah..." X replied slowly, "but... You're not going to believe this..."

Iris knelt down next to X and read it herself. "M... E... G... A... M... A... N..." she said out loud. "...Megaman?"

"Mega Man," Smith corrected. "You know, the robot that protected humans from Dr. Wily two hundred years ago!... Wait, that's what it says?"

"Yes," X replied. "Mega Man... This capsule... holds..."

"Seriously?!" Iris gulped. "...Wow!"

X walked over to the other capsules and read the labels on them. "'Roll...' 'Tango...' 'Rush.'" Three other robots are here, too."

"Mega Man, Roll, Tango and Rush?" Iris asked. "Those were some of Dr. Light's best creations, right?"

"Yeah," Smith agreed. "Mega Man's sister Roll was supposed to be a very capable mechanic, and his pets Tango and Rush helped him out plenty of times."

"I can't believe it..." X gasped. "They're all here...?"

"Does this mean that they're alive, too?" Iris asked, starting to get excited. "We can reactivate them?!"

"More of Dr. Light's robots..." X sighed. "I... I'm not alone, like I thought..."

"Perhaps... There's just one teensy problem," Smith muttered, kneeling before the capsule and observing some broken wires on the ground. "Age hasn't been kind to them. These capsules're broken; we can't open them."

"What?" X asked.

"Oh, dear..." Iris sighed. "You mean we can never open them?"

Smith thought hard for a moment. "If we can get them back to the museum, I'll be able to analyze them a bit better," he said. "Iris, call the others, will you? This is going to be tricky."

Iris got on her communicator and called the museum. A very irritated Sharon answered. "Hey, Iris," she said. "Guess who had to clean up the pizza that Peabody slipped on!"

"Ooh..." Iris gulped, remembering what was left of their lunch. "Sorry about that... Anyway, the professor needs to teleport four large capsules back to the museum. Do you know what to do?"

"Four capsules, you said?" Darren's voice broke in. "Yeah, we know!"

"Yeah, we've done that before," Sharon replied. "OK, we're going to set things up! We'll call you when we're ready."

"They're getting ready?" Smith asked. "Good. I'm going to go see what Zero pulled up. You two wait here for Sharon to call back." He turned and walked out of the room.

X sighed and leaned against the wall. "Whew..." he sighed.

Iris smiled happily. "Isn't this great, X? You've got some family now!" she said.

"I suppose..." X replied, "but... I'm not sure..."

Iris hesitated. "Not sure about what?" she asked.

"Mega Man is the most famous robot of them all," X said. "No matter what, he was always able to defeat his enemies... He never let anybody else get hurt." He paused and shook his head. "I've tried to stop Sigma without any casualties, but..."

Iris nodded slowly. X must have always compared himself to Mega Man on all of his levels. It was no wonder why he always tried so hard; he always thought he was living in someone's shadow. "I think I understand..." she said, "but Mega Man fought in the way he had to... and so did you. It's just the day and age; it's got nothing to do with you."

X glanced at her and smiled sadly. "...Thanks," he said quietly.

Just then, Iris's communicator beeped. "Iris, we're all ready on this end," Sharon said. "You might want to get out of the way."

"Right," Iris replied. "Come on, X, let's go into the other room."

X and Iris walked back into the first room, where Zero and Smith stood waiting. "Are they ready?" Smith asked.

"They're transporting right now," Iris replied. "Did you find anything, Zero?"

"Plenty," Zero replied, folding his arms. "It's pretty dated stuff, though... I'm not sure whether we can use it or not."

"OK!" Sharon's voice came through. "Beam 'em up, Scotty!"

There was a loud hum in the lab, and the capsule room flickered briefly. When everyone looked in, the capsules were gone.

"...Got 'em!" Darren's voice came in. "...Huh... but the only room big enough to send them was the dinosaur exhibit..."

"LUCAS!!!" Peabody's angry voice burst through.

"Uh... Why don't you guys come back... quickly!" Sharon gulped.

"...Yeah, let's," Smith said, scratching his head. "OK, Sharon, stand by for transport!"

* * *

One by one, the Hunters rematerialized in the museum teleporter, where they were greeted by a furious Peabody and a sheepish Darren. "Would you care to explain just what four giant metal tubes are doing in the middle of the dinosaur bones?!" Peabody snapped.

"Errr..." Iris gulped.

"It's nothing to worry about, Mr. Peabody," X said. "We're just bringing back stuff we found in the ruins of a lab, and-"

"Every time you go out, you bring back stuff!" Peabody huffed. "How am I supposed to run a museum when you're always dumping ancient wreckage all over the place?!"

"We just need time to study them," Zero said, stepping in front of Iris and trying to be polite to his boss. "We'll get rid of the capsules when we're done with them."

Peabody glared at Zero, but noted that he still had his Z-Saber on him. "...See that you do," he growled. "I want them out of here by opening time tomorrow!" With that, he turned around and stormed off, a visible sauce stain on his pants.

"Well, you heard the man," Smith chuckled lightly. "Let's go see! Heh... Zero, remind me to bring you to staff meetings."

Zero harrumphed and started walking.

* * *

The ancient capsules stood on the carpeted floor right between the skeletons of a diplodocus and a triceratops. Snake Man had already adapted their electric systems to the museum's, and each one quietly hummed with its own tone.

"So, these are what you found?" Darren asked as the Hunters approached them.

"Yeah," Iris said. "Isn't this exciting? We've found Mega Man!"

Snake Man regarded the tubes and sighed. "It won't be very exciting if we can't get them open," he noted.

Professor Smith approached the capsules and looked them over. He listened to the humming generators and ran his fingers over the cold glass. He pulled off a hunk of metal on top to reveal a system of buttons and diodes, which he set to work pushing and pulling immediately. Unfortunately, none of the things he did seemed to affect the tubes.

"Well, crap," he grumbled as he stepped away. "The locking system's shut tight as a drum. There's no way I can get in..."

"Oh..." X sighed.

"What a shame..." Snake Man said.

Zero glanced at him. "You don't sound all that disappointed," he said.

Snake Man sighed. "Well..." he admitted. "Mega Man did wipe the floor with me back then... I'm not exactly interested in reliving that."

"I guess you won't," Smith grumbled. "I've tried everything."

Sharon frowned and walked up to the capsule. "Yeah?" she growled. "Well, how 'bout THIS?!" She pulled her leg back and delivered a swift kick.

Suddenly, the whole capsule sprang to life. The diodes flashed and gears whirred. With a loud hiss, the glass casing unlatched and rose upwards, sending billows of steam wafting across the ground.

"...Wow," Darren said.

Sharon blinked a few times, obviously flabbergasted. "Well... I guess some things on TV DO work in real life!" she exclaimed with a grin.

The steam dissipated and the capsule's contents could be seen. Inside lay a young boy robot about as tall as Iris. He wore plain, light-blue armor on his chest and dark-blue armor on his arms and legs. A dark-blue helmet sat upon his head, set with some light-blue nodes.

"Woah..." Darren gasped.

"That's him..." Snake Man said quietly.

"...Mega Man..." X whispered.

Mega Man's eyes fluttered open and he slowly pushed himself out of the capsule. As everyone watched in awe, he took a few steps forward onto the carpet. "...Mega Man?" Iris asked quietly.

Mega Man looked at her and blinked a few times. Suddenly, he stumbled and fell right into Iris.

"Uh-oh!" Iris gulped, hopping back to shake him off. "What's wrong?!"

"Must be hibernation sickness," Smith proposed. "He was in there for two hundred years, after all... Someone get him to the sick bay so he can rest. We'll open the rest of the capsules."

"Rest?" Sharon asked haughtily. "He's been asleep 200 years already! How much more does he need?!"

X picked up the world's first robotic champion and headed out of the room. The others turned their attentions to the other capsules.

"Well, if Sharon can do it..." Zero said, walking up to another one and kicking it himself. The capsule popped open to reveal an unconscious red dog. He picked it up and started after X.

"...Well, Why not?" Snake Man asked, kicking a third capsule as hard as she could, revealing a green cat. He took it and followed the others.

"Yeah!" Darren laughed, running up and smashing his foot into the last capsule. There was a loud BONG, and he danced around cursing.

"Uh... Maybe you'd better leave that to the Reploids, D," Sharon chuckled.

The capsule shuddered, then opened. Darren grinned at her, and she sighed and rolled her eyes.

Inside was a young girl robot with golden yellow hair tied in a ponytail with an emerald-green ribbon, wearing a red skirt with black shoulders and white chest area.

"This must be Roll," Iris said. "Mega Man's sister, right?"

"Whoever she is, she sure likes her sleep," Sharon muttered. "...Doesn't seem to realize that she's free."

Smith frowned. Mega Man had awoken right away, but Roll's eyes were still closed. "...I think there's something wrong," he said. "Let's get her out, right now!"

Darren walked over to the capsule, grabbed Roll's arms and gently pulled. Unfortunately, he pulled a bit too hard and she flew out of the seat, landing on him. "Oogh..." he groaned, looking at his predicament. "So this is how Iris feels when I trip..."

"Darren, are you OK?" Iris asked.

Darren got to his feet, picked up Roll and held her in his arms. "I'll be fine," he said. "Let's just get her to the lab, quick... before my hands snap off!"

"Iris, Sharon, can you get rid of the capsules?" Smith asked as Darren staggered off. "Peabody will have our heads if we don't move them." He turned and chased after the engineer.

Iris sighed. "No fair," she grumbled. "I wanted to help."

Sharon turned to the capsules. "Well, it beats Peabody yanking cash out of our checks," she said. "We're gonna need a big recycle bin."

* * *

An hour later, the group reconvened in the museum's medical area. "Are they going to be OK, professor?" X asked.

"Mega Man and the animals just had hibernation sickness," Smith replied as he adjusted his glasses. "They'll be coming round any moment now. Roll, however..."

"What's wrong?" Iris asked. "Is she all right?"

"These robots are very old," Smith sighed. "I had to do some research to see what could have been the problem... It seemed that her capsule wasn't shut properly, so her CPU couldn't distinguish between when she should have been asleep or awake. It's OK, though. I repaired the damage and we can wake her up at any time."

"That's good..." Darren said with relief. "It would have been a shame if she was broken."

"So they're all OK?" Snake Man asked.

"Well, funny you should ask," Smith replied, pulling out some sheets of paper. "According to my scans, all of them have had a small portion of their memories modified... Chronology states that it was just a short while before they were sealed in the capsules. Aside from that, they're in tip-top shape."

"Memories?" Zero asked. "I wonder why..."

"You can go in if you'd like," Smith said, moving away from the door. "Don't crowd, though."

Everyone looked at each other, and they decided on who would go in. X, Zero, Darren and Iris walked through the doors and looked around. The legendary blue robot lay on the cot nearby, the cat curled up at his head. A privacy curtain was drawn around the far corner.

"Well, he looks calm enough," Zero said. "Should we-"

Suddenly a loud bark made everyone jump. The red dog appeared from behind the cot and trotted up to them, its tail wagging cheerfully.

"Well, hello, there!" Iris said with a smile, patting its head. "Aren't you a friendly puppy?"

The dog yipped again happily, and Mega Man groaned. "Oh..." he muttered. "Rush, what is it...?"

"He's coming to," Darren noted.

Everyone glanced over as Mega Man's eyes opened. This time, he looked alert and active, fully recovered from the hibernation. "...Huh?..." he muttered as he sat up and looked around.

"Um... Hello," X said slowly, a weak wave escaping his hand.

Mega Man smiled warmly. "Hi!" he replied in a cheery voice. "I'm Mega Man, but you can call me Rock, too!"

"Uh, hi, then, Rock," X replied. "I'm X."

"X, huh?" Mega Man asked, holding out his hand. "Nice to meet you!"

X hesitated, then shook it warmly. "Wow!" Mega Man said. "You're strong! I like your color choice, too!"

Iris beamed at Zero. "He's really friendly, isn't he?" she asked.

Mega Man looked at the others. "Hi!" he said again. "X, who're your friends?"

"Oh, sorry," X apologized. "Rock, these are Darren, Iris and Zero."

Mega Man warmly greeted each of them. "Hello!" he laughed. When he came to Zero, he scratched his chin. "Hmm... Have I met you before? You seem kinda familiar..." he said.

Zero shrugged. "Not that I know of," he replied.

"Ah, well," Mega Man said. "OK! Well..." he paused and looked around again. "Wow, what a change! Dr. Light's gonna wonder what happened to his lab..."

Everyone exchanged glances and realized the problem. Mega Man was two hundred years away from everything he knew; how was he going to handle that?

"Where IS Dr. Light, anyway?" Mega Man asked. "Are you friends of his?"

"I... guess you could say that," X said. "Um, listen, Rock... We've got to tell you... You're not at Dr. Light's lab."

Mega Man looked at X. "Really?" he asked. "Well, that explains why it looks so weird."

"Would you like to come out and see the rest?" X asked. "We can show you around."

"OK!" Mega Man replied. "Come on, Rush!"

The dog yipped again, and they followed X out of the room, just as Professor Smith came back in.

"Well, that was interesting..." Darren admitted.

"We'll have to tell him eventually," Iris said. "I wouldn't want to be kept in the dark about waking up in the future."

"I think X'll handle it," Zero replied. "They already share a bond."

"Well, they ARE brothers, I suppose," Smith said. "Speaking of which, maybe we should set to work on reviving their sister..."

Zero turned and to the cot; it was empty. "...Wasn't there another robot here a moment ago?" he asked.

Iris looked at him and giggled. "Yeah," she answered, "and he's still there!"

Zero looked at her with confusion, then felt something yank his head very hard. "Agh!!!" he snarled as the cat climbed up his ponytail. "Get it off! GET IT OFF!!!"

"OK, OK!" Iris said, reaching out and pulling the cat out. "Come now, you be good!" she said in a silly voice. "It's not nice to climb in daddy's hair!"

The cat meowed.

"So, you're Tango, huh?" she said, cradling the cat in her arms. "Well, we're gonna have lots of fun, aren't we? This is great! I always wanted a cat..."

Just then, out in the hall there was a loud crash and a yell from Sharon. "Rush!" Mega Man shouted. "No tackling!"

"Whew..." Darren chuckled. "Peabody's gonna LOVE these."

"...'Daddy?'" Zero asked.

* * *

"Well, this is the dinosaur exhibit," X said, leading Mega Man into the large, skeleton-filled area. Sharon and Iris had did their work well; not a trace of the capsules was to be seen.

"Wow..." Mega Man gaped at the bones. "This museum is great!" He turned and saw a strange dinosaur skeleton; it had spikes across its back and huge, three-pronged horns on its head. "I've never even SEEN this one before!"

"Yeah, that's a Trithrustosaur," X said, glancing around. "Snake Man's usually in here dusting, but I don't see-"

Mega Man's smile faded. "Snake Man?!" he asked. "Do you mean..."

X realized his error; Snake Man was one of the robots that Mega Man had fought during Dr. Wily's campaigns. Mega Man would probably try to fight him as soon as he saw him. "Well, uh..." was all he managed.

Suddenly, something clattered behind a display. Without hesitation Mega Man charged behind it, yelling bravely. A familiar scream came from behind, and then Mega Man reappeared, dragging a very freaked-out Snake Man behind him. "Hey, come on! Leave me alone!" he panted.

"Give it up, Snake Man!" Mega Man growled, pointing his Mega Buster to the Reploid's head. "What are you doing here?! I destroyed you already! Twice!!!"

"Hey, hey!" X admonished, pulling them apart. "Calm down, Rock! Snake Man works here!"

"What?!" Mega Man snapped. "How can you guys trust him! He works for Wily!"

"WORKED for Wily," Snake Man grumbled, standing up and dusting off his labcoat. "I'm a free 'Roid now, and I don't want to fight you."

Mega Man paused. "...'Roid?" he asked.

"Oh!" X exclaimed, realizing another problem; he hadn't told Mega Man about Reploids yet. "I forgot to tell you, Snake Man's a Reploid now!"

"A what?" Mega Man asked.

"Reploid," X explained. "A sentient robot. They're improved models of Dr. Light's works. They think, act, feel and make their own decisions, plus their bodies are more human-like than before."

"Human?" Mega Man asked. "What does that mean?"

"It means we can decide what we want to do," Snake Man said, taking off his helmet and revealing his faint-brown hair. "That's why I don't fight anymore."

Mega Man blinked a few times. "...Seriously?" he asked.

"Yeah," Snake Man answered. "Besides, two hundred years is too long to hold a grudge, right?... Oops!" He clamped his hands over his mouth.

Mega Man's eyes widened. "What was that?!" he asked. "Two hundred...?!"

X gulped. "I'm sorry, Rock," he apologized. "I guess I should have said something sooner..."

Mega Man looked around nervously, saw the Trithrustosaur and ran to its informational plate. The words seemed to squirm before his eyes:

_Trithrustosaur_

_Middle East region_

_New species unearthed by Dr. Irwin Volcan, 2194_

Mega Man hesitated, then stepped back and stared at the carpet. "2194..." he said. "I... I'm in the future...?"

"Yes," X sighed. "We found you sealed in a capsule, and..."

Mega Man's mouth curled into a grin. "COOL!!!" he exclaimed happily. "I'm in the future!!! Wow!!!" He turned to them and grinned. "What kind of stuff is in the future? Do you have flying cars yet? I wanna see!"

There was an awkward silence. "...Didn't they have flying cars in your time?" X asked.

Mega Man beamed. "Yeah. I've just always wanted to say that," he chuckled.

Snake Man and X exchanged glances.

* * *

"OK, let's set to work on fixing Roll," Professor Smith said as he pulled back the curtain in the corner. There lay roll, her torso wide open and her circuitry exposed and flashing. Several metallic pieces lay all around the table. "Darren, I'm going to need you to help me."

"Me?" Darren asked. "I thought you said you fixed her already!"

"Taking robots apart I'm OK with," Smith explained. "Putting them back together, well..."

Darren glanced over at Iris and Zero, then back at him. "You put Zero and Iris back together fine," he noted.

"They're Reploids," Smith replied. "They're more human than machine. This, well... She needs an engineer's touch."

Darren sighed and looked over the parts. Smith had thrown them all over the place, but nothing seemed to be missing or broken. He glanced up at Roll's face. With the look of peace she wore, it almost reminded him of an autopsy. Still, if he didn't put her back together, she would never wake up. "Ugh..." he grumbled, shuddering at the thought. "OK, I'll give it a whirl."

"Wonderful!" Iris said behind them. "Good luck, Darren!"

Darren quickly set to work on reassembling Roll. He grabbed pieces off the table seemingly at random and inserted them into their proper places. His fingers moved as fast as an air-dashing Reploid as he worked. All through it his friends watched in amazement.

"Great, huh?" Smith chuckled. "That's why I hired him."

"Wow..." Iris said. "I knew he built my weapons on the spot, but..."

Zero just frowned and folded his arms.

"This goes here... and that goes there..." Darren muttered as he stuck fragment after fragment back into the robotic girl. Finally he gave a laugh of triumph and inserted the last piece. "That should do it!" he announced. "You can close her up, professor."

Smith carefully replaced Roll's synthetic skin and garments, then removed the electric wire fueling Roll's power cells with energy from her ear. She moaned softly, then her lids lifted to reveal her gentle, aquamarine eyes. "Oh..." she groaned. "Where... am I?..."

"It worked!" Iris exclaimed. "You guys are great!"

"Roll?" Smith asked quietly. "Can you hear me?"

Roll sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Ugh..." she mumbled. She looked around at the four strange people and blinked. "Um... Hello," she said.

"Hello," Iris replied. "How are you feeling?"

Roll rubbed her forehead. "I'm OK..." she said, "but... who are you?"

"I'm Iris, and this is Zero," Iris said, motioning to the red Reploid. "Oh, and behind you are Professor Smith and Darren. They fixed you."

Roll turned around and saw the humans. "Fixed... me?" she asked. "Was I broken?"

"Well, sort of," Darren said, not wanting to upset her. "Nothing dangerous."

"What can you last remember, Roll?" Smith asked.

"Not much..." Roll replied. "Dr. Light told us to take a nap... That was it..."

"Take a nap..." Zero said. "That's certainly what you did."

"What?" Roll asked, looking at Zero. "What do you mean?"

With a hint from Iris, Zero decided to be quiet. Roll looked around the room and grew anxious. "This isn't Dr. Light's lab..." she said. "Where am I?"

"It's OK, Roll," Smith tried to reassure her. "You're inside a museum in the United States."

"Museum..." Roll repeated. "Why am I here...?"

"Well, um..." Darren started. "We-"

Just then, the door opened and X, Mega Man and Rush came back in. "Roll!" Mega Man exclaimed. "You're OK!"

"Rock! Rush!" Roll said happily, getting off of the bed and rushing to him. "You're here, too?"

Iris sidled over to X. "How'd he take it?" she asked.

X chuckled lightly. "Better than expected..." he admitted.

"Roll, isn't this great?!" Mega Man laughed, practically jumping up and down. "We're in the future!!!"

Roll's eyes widened, but more from shock than delight. "The... The future?!..." she gasped.

"Yeah!" Mega Man replied. "We're, like, two hundred years into the future! They've got flying cars and Reploids and dinosaurs I've never heard of! Isn't that awesome?!"

Roll hesitated, then cast her gaze at the floor. "Yeah... Yeah, that's great..." she said.

"Yeah!" Mega Man laughed. "I'm gonna go see what kind of snacks they eat! Come, on, Rush!" He turned and disappeared again.

"Whew..." Iris panted, stroking Tango's head. "He's full of energy, isn't he?"

"The future..." Roll said as she sat down in a chair.

Darren turned and looked at her. She was visibly upset; her hands were trembling. "Roll, are you OK?" he asked.

"If I'm in the future..." she said quietly. "Then... Then Dr. Light... He's... He's..."

Smith sighed. "...I'm sorry, Roll," he said.

Roll's eyes clouded over, and with another moan she toppled forward. "Woah!" Darren gulped as he caught her. "What's wrong?!"

"I think she... fainted..." Iris said.

"It must have been too much for her," X sighed, shaking his head. "Dr. Light was practically a father to Rock and her..."

"Poor kid," Zero muttered. "I wonder when her brother'll realize it..."

Darren laid Roll down on the cot again. "She just needs to rest a bit," he said. "She'll come around eventually..."

"How do you know?" Iris asked.

Darren smiled. "Hey, you guys did, didn't you?" he asked.

"You have a point..." Zero replied, "but our creators weren't Dr. Light."

X scratched his chin. "This still doesn't add up..." he said. "Why did Agile want them in the first place?"

"Err... Maybe he's a robotics buff?" Smith suggested.

Iris was about to say something when Sharon burst into the room. "We've got trouble, guys!" she announced.

"What?" Zero asked as everyone turned to her.

"Agile's on the move again!" Sharon replied. "Several Maverick symbols just appeared in Japan!!!"

"What?!" Smith asked. "Let's go and see!"

Smith, Sharon, X and Zero rushed out the door. Iris was about to leave when she noticed that Darren was still standing next to Roll. "What's wrong, Darren?" she asked.

"You guys go ahead," Darren replied. "I'm going to stay here in case she wakes up."

Iris hesitated, then nodded. "OK, we'll see you later!" she said, running after her friends.

* * *

Smith tapped furiously on the keyboard while a dangerous-looking Maverick symbol flashed over the onscreen map of Japan. "It looks like they're at a remote area in the Fujiyama mountain range," he reported.

"Fujiyama?" Iris asked. "What could be up there?"

"Hey!" a voice from behind made everyone jump. They turned around to see Mega Man standing in the doorway, a candy bar wrapper in his hand and chocolate at the corners of his mouth. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Oh, hi, Rock," X said. "We've got some bad Reploids doing something here..."

Mega Man looked up at the map on the screen and his eyes lit up. "Woah! That's where they are?!" he exclaimed.

Iris looked at him. "Do you know where that is?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's where one of Dr. Wily's castles is!" Mega Man replied. "That guy's still around?!"

Zero gave an awkward cough. "Well..." he started.

"There's no time to explain," X said. "We have to go!"

Iris, X and Zero started for the door when Mega Man stopped them. "Wait! I want to go, too!" he declared.

"Sorry, Rock, but it's too dangerous," Iris said. "These guys are really strong, and-"

"If Wily's still doing evil, I've still got a job to do!" Mega Man argued. "I'm coming!"

X hesitated. The Mavericks were much stronger than a robot like Mega Man; they could smash him to pieces with one blow. Still, he had plenty of spirit, and nobody could overlook that he used to be legendary. "...Oh, OK," he finally said.

"Yes!" Mega Man laughed, pumping his fist. "Let's go show Wily!" He turned and ran out the door.

"...I'm starting to see a resemblance," Zero noted.

X chuckled embarrassedly.

Just then, Mega Man reappeared. "Uh, how do we get there, anyway?" he asked.

* * *

Moments later, Iris, X, Zero and Mega Man stood at the foot of a frozen, rocky hill. "Wow!" Mega Man exclaimed. "That teleporter's really something!"

"OK, Mega Man," Iris said, looking around. "You said you know where we are? Please lead us to the castle, then."

"OK!" Mega Man said, pointing uphill. "It's up this way!" He took off sprinting up the rocks, the Reploids hurring to keep up with him.

"Whew..." Zero grunted as he ran. "...Sure runs fast for an old coot..."

"I hope the topography hasn't changed much," X warned. "He might not be able to find the ruins."

"This whole area is volcanic," Zero replied. "Hoping the topography won't change is like hoping Darren won't stumble."

"Hey, that isn't nice!" Iris huffed. "He hasn't tripped... lately."

Zero just grunted and kept running.

"Hey, guys!!!" a shout came from up ahead. They looked up and saw Mega Man waving at them. "I found it!" he yelled, then disappeared.

"Great!" X exclaimed. "Now we'll see what they're up to."

The Hunters scrambled to where Mega Man was and gaped. Blacking out the gray sky over them were the burnt, collapsing remains of one of Dr. Wily's wretched fortresses. Broken cannon shells lay scattered amidst the rocks, and shattered security droids were half-sunken into the dirt. The gigantic skull structure that graced each of his fortresses had turned gray over its two hundred years of misuse, and one of its eye-socket windows was smashed.

"Whew..." Mega Man chuckled lightly. "Looks just the way I left it..." He grinned, but inside he was starting to worry. When the unshaven scientist had told him the location, he had assumed that Dr. Wily's castle was still in working order, with the bitter old man inside it. Seeing this, however, bothered him immensely.

Iris raised her arm communicator. "Professor? Where were the Maverick readings coming from?" she asked.

"They're inside," Smith's voice came through. "The biggest group of them is deep in the lower areas. You're in for a tough fight, it looks like..."

"Right," Zero growled, unsheathing his Z-Saber. "As always..."

Mega Man turned to X. "Maverick?" he asked. "What's that?"

"When a Reploid goes out of control and hurts humans, it's called a Maverick," X explained. "That's what we're fighting here."

Mega Man paused. "So... Not Dr. Wily?" he asked slowly.

While in some ways Dr. Wily was indeed responsible for the virus that created Mavericks, X decided to spare everyone the details. "No," he said, "but they're really dangerous nonetheless. Now, lead us in, please, Rock."

Mega Man hesitated, then led the Hunters through the shattered front doors.

If the outside of the castle had been a mess, the inside was a complete disaster. Half an inch of shrapnel coated the floor, making it very difficult to walk. Huge dust clouds haunted some halls, blurring the Hunters' vision and sending them into coughing fits. Still, despite Smith's warning, the building seemed empty; only the sounds of their footsteps echoed in the corridors.

"There don't seem to be any enemies here..." Zero said, kneeling down and picking up a battered yellow helmet. "At least, none living."

"We have to go lower, right?" Iris asked, walking ahead a bit. "Let's look for some stairs!"

"Good idea," X agreed. "Or at least we should find an elevator shaft... Can you remember where one is, Rock?"

Mega Man simply stood nearby, staring at the dust-covered remains of Wily's once-proud soldiers. A worried, thoughtful expression was on his face.

"...Rock?" X asked again.

"Oh!" Mega Man gasped, snapping out of his thoughts. "An elevator? I think there was one down and to the right..." He turned and pointed.

"Good," X replied. "Let's go."

They headed down the hall and came to a wide hole in the ground. Two broken, red pulley machines attached to the wall seemed to show that it had at one time been an elevator shaft. "Yeah, here it is..." Mega Man said, glancing into the hole. It was pitch black below, almost like the throat of a beckoning monster. "Whew! Long way down..." he gulped.

"Don't worry, we can manage," X chuckled. "Zero, Iris, you guys go first."

Zero swung his legs over the side and then dropped over altogether. Mega Man gasped at the insane-looking act, but then grew confused as Zero didn't fall; his arms and legs stayed attached to the wall, his body sliding gradually down into the blackness.

"Woah..." Mega Man gaped. "What-"

"That's another Reploid skill," Iris said. "We can stick to walls. We slide down because of gravity, but it's handy all the same." She turned and repeated the motions that Zero had. "Zero, don't look up!" she called as she went down. "Ooh... Maybe I should have gone first..."

X looked at Mega Man and knelt down. "Would you like to..." he started.

Mega Man grinned nervously. "No thanks, X," he said. "I can get down just fine on my own."

"Woah, Rock, wait-" X started, but he turned and jumped into the hole without another word. There was a pause, then a loud crash.

There was a long pause. "I'm OK!!!" Mega Man's voice finally sounded.

Without hesitation X mounted the wall and slid down. Thirty seconds later, he dropped down next to Zero. Mega Man lay in a pile of scrap metal nearby, groaning painfully.

"Oh, dear," Iris asked.

"Take it easy," Zero grumbled. "You're not as young as you used to be."

X helped the robotic boy stand up, and then they looked around. The only passage now was a long tunnel leading off into darkness. "We're getting our fill of dark halls, aren't we?" he asked.

Iris's communicator went off. "Iris here," she said into it.

"Iris, there's something weird going on!" Smith's voice crackled. "There were about fifty Maverick readings in the castle before... but now there are only twenty! Did you guys fight anyone?"

"No," Iris responded.

"Huh..." Smith replied. Suddenly, he gasped again. "Now there are only ten Mavericks!... Five!... Three?! What's going on here?!... Wait!"

"What is it?" X asked.

"I'm picking up another energy reading where the Mavericks were," Smith said. "I can't identify it, but..."

"Sounds like we're not alone," Zero said, fingering his saber.

"Be careful, all of you," Smith said.

"What else could be down here?" Iris asked.

Mega Man frowned. "Dr. Wily!" he replied. "Who else could it be?!"

"Well, uh..." X started.

"Let's go get him!" Mega Man huffed, taking off down the tunnel. Suddenly, he gave a grunt and another crash echoed.

"Rock, wait!" X shouted, turning on his flashlight and chasing after his older brother.

He found Mega Man flat on his face, his legs caught on another hunk of metal. "Are you OK?" he asked.

"Ugh..." Mega Man groaned again. "I'm pretty clumsy, aren't I? Heh... Ouch."

"What did you trip over?" Iris asked as Zero and she approached. X turned the flashlight on the object and she gasped.

In the middle of the tunnel lay the body of another robot. This one wasn't some drone-type, though; it had arms and legs, like a human. It was face-down, but its helmet was a rusty orange, large and spikey. Broken remnants of claws jutted out from its wrists. It also had large, bear-like clawed feet.

"Woah..." X gulped.

Mega Man sat up and looked down. "Hey, I know him..." he said. "That's Slash Man!"

"Slash Man..." Zero said. "A Wily Robot Master."

Iris ran her fingers over the rusted hulk of metal. Perhaps this fellow had once been a deadly minion of a crazed madman, but she couldn't help but feel bad that this dark and lonely place was his tomb. "I'll get the professor to transport him," she said, pulling out her communicator.

"What?" Mega Man asked. "But... but... Why?"

"Let's just say that I know how he feels," she replied. "Professor! We've found a Robot Master... can you transport him?"

Smith's voice came in again. "Another one? Well, OK... I've got too many projects of my own just now, but I'll see if Bahai or Thompson wants him."

There was a gentle humming noise, and Slash Man disappeared. "Woah!" Mega Man exclaimed. "That teleporter really IS something!"

"Say Iris," Smith said as he came back into earshot. "I was able to analyze a bit of the new signature... Its readings are faintly similar to the Evil Energy we found in Death Valley!"

"Really?" Iris asked. "Whew... That isn't good..."

Mega Man's eyes widened. "Evil Energy?" he asked. "That stuff's still around?!"

Zero frowned. "In more ways than one..." he sighed.

"Do you know something about it?" X asked.

"There's only one robot I know who would absorb enough of that stuff to have it appear in his energy signature," Mega Man said, looking into the darkness. "...Could he still...?"

"I guess we'll have to find out," Iris said, standing up. "Shall we?"

X cast his flashlight into the shadows and the group continued.

After what seemed like forever, the Hunters arrived at a door. From the crack at the bottom, they could see that there was some sort of light source coming from the other side. It glowed an eerie purple, like something one would see in an alien horror movie.

"Well, we've come too far to turn back now," X said, readying his X-Buster. Iris and Zero drew their sabers.

Mega Man pulled out his Mega Buster as well. "OK!" he huffed. "Bring it on!"

Zero lifted his leg and kicked the door down, and the Hunters rushed in.

A ghastly sight greeted them. All around the room were scattered bloody, dismembered Reploid corpses, all of them in agonizing positions. The walls were spattered with red and black fluids, and the floor had become a shallow pool of it. A huge hole was in the right-hand wall; that was probably where the Mavericks had come from.

"Oh!..." Iris choked.

"Good Lord..." X gasped.

Mega Man gasped at the gore. In the future, Reploids bled like humans? They looked like they had been in immense agony when they had died; just how advanced had robotics become?

Zero's eyes narrowed. "Look," he said.

Mega Man looked where Zero motioned and his eyes widened. "You..." he whispered. "You're still..."

In the center of the room with his back turned to the Hunters stood a robot dressed totally in black armor. His helmet was wide and curved, like a cobra's head. His gloved hands, which were stained with blood, were balled into fists and twitching furiously.

"Hey, you!" Iris called. "Did you do this?!"

The robot whipped around. He had wild, violent, crimson eyes and eerie purple streaks down his cheeks. His jaw twitched and his teeth ground. The moment he saw the Hunters, his eyes narrowed.

"Bass..." Mega Man said, frowning.

"You know him, too?" Iris asked.

"Bass was built to be just like me," Mega Man replied. "He's Dr. Wily's strongest creation!"

Zero frowned. "I see..." he said.

"You..." Bass snarled in a breathless voice. "More fighting... Good... It's about time!"

"Bass, huh?" X asked, aiming his Buster. "Maybe this is what Agile was after... How did he get out of his capsule?"

"I bet Agile's Reploids let him out," Iris replied. "Stand down, Bass; you're outnumbered."

Bass cackled in a high-pitched voice. "You have me outnumbered, eh?!" he snickered, motioning to the dead Reploids. "Well, so did THEY!" He began crabwalking from side to side, as if he were ready to attack. "Wily took away my guns and left me here to rot! Thought he was so smart, did he? Well, if he's so smart, how come he's dead?! Heh heh heh..."

Mega Man blinked. "What?" he asked. "Wily's dead?..."

Bass's eyes locked onto him. "Mega Man!!!" he exclaimed in almost a shriek. "You're still around?! Heh... This is perfect... Two hundred years of solitude! I thought I was the only one left! Those old doctors of ours are long gone..." he paused and cackled, "but we can still learn who's stronger!"

Zero frowned. "Two hundred...?" he started.

"You... weren't put in a capsule?" Iris asked.

"Heh... What's a capsule?!" Bass snapped, turning away from them and putting his hand over his face. "Damn Wily just locked me up and threw away the key! If he'd been kinder, he'd at least've shut me off first... Two hundred years in this room... All alone... No light... No sound... Total isolation!... No, doc! Don't leave me in this dump! The walls... They're closin' in on me!..." His breathing was getting heavy, as if he were trying to keep from sobbing.

Mega Man's frown became a look of concern. Like he had for Slash Man, he felt bad for Bass despite their previous run-ins. "Bass..." he started. "I-"

He was interrupted by Bass's screechy laughter. The black-armored robot whirled around with a sadistic grin plastered across his face. "Now I've got a chance, though!!!" he laughed. "Finally, I can kill you! I AM THE STRONGEST!!! AAAARRRRRHHHH!!!"

Before anyone could react, Bass flung himself at them, his bloody fingers clawing into Mega Man's neck. Caught off guard, the blue one went down and they furiously rolled about in the puddles, knocking Reploid parts everywhere.

"Stop it!" Iris yelled. "Knock it off, you two!"

"Your masters are dead!" Zero added. "There's no REASON for you to fight each other!"

X shook his head. "Bass won't listen to reason... He can't," he said.

Mega Man knocked Bass's hands from his throat, but his psychotic rival wouldn't give up. When he lost his grip on the neck, Bass arched his fingers and swung straight down, trying to gouge out the eyes.

With a loud grunt, Mega Man got his foot beneath Bass's stomach and kicked, sending him flying off. No sooner had Mega Man got to his feet, though, Bass flew at him again, holding a severed Reploid arm as a weapon. Mega Man raised his Buster and fired, knocking the limb from his grasp. Bass gave another shriek and dove at him again, his teeth bared like a hellbent tiger. He caught Mega Man in another thrashing embrace and they went down again, yelling and cursing.

Iris and her friends could do little but watch. "This is awful," she said. "It's like he's become a wild animal..."

"Exactly," Zero agreed. "Solitude has driven the logic from him. All he remembers is combat."

"Great..." X sighed. "Is this why Agile sent soldiers here?"

Suddenly, a cry of triumph from Bass caught everyone's attention. They looked and saw Mega Man squirming beneath the black robot, Bass's hands on his face and chest. Bass's teeth were out, rabid flecks of foam mingling with drool as it dribbled down onto his knuckles. He was ready to bite into the blue robot's neck and finish the fight. "IT'S OVER!!!" he laughed. "DO YOU SEE, WILY?! You didn't need those other robots! I... AM... THE STRONGEST!!!"

"No!!!" Iris cried.

"Mega Man!!!" X yelled.

"Bass..." Mega Man choked. "Don't you remember... Don't you remember who you are...?"

Just then, an explosion rocked the right-hand wall, knocking an even bigger hole in it than before. Immediately Zero turned and growled. "Who's there?!" he yelled.

Out of the blackness of the hole stepped a gigantic gorilla Reploid. He wore a spiked skull helmet and clutched a shield, and a huge sword was in a scabbard on his back. The scowl on his face indicated that he certainly wasn't friendly. His rock-hard battle armor sparkled dangerously despite the bad light. When he saw the spectacle, his eyes narrowed.

"Woah..." X exclaimed, staring at the new arrival. Bass looked up and stared intently. Mega Man managed to move his face enough to breathe and watch.

"Another of Wily's robots?" Iris asked.

"No," Zero replied. "A Maverick... Soldier Stonekong."

The towering Soldier Stonekong looked around crossly. "So... The weapon that we must obtain can do this..." he said. "It must be a horrible weapon indeed."

"Soldier Stonekong!" X called.

The ape turned and glared at the Hunters. "So, you're here, too..." he growled. "I figured you would come, since that poor excuse of a unit fled from you."

"Poor excuse?" Iris asked. "You mean the guys we met at Dr. Light's lab?"

"Those fools were supposed to get in and retrieve the data on the Evil Energy, but instead they fled like frightened chimpanzees," Stonekong growled, holding out his clutched fist; something was inside of it. "THIS is what happens to cowards in MY unit!"

He opened his hand to reveal a crushed, bloody pulp that had at one time been a head. Iris gasped as she recognized it; it was the head of the lead Reploid that she had talked with. With one swift motion, Stonekong hurled it into her chest, knocking her into a puddle.

"Iris!" Zero cried.

Iris shook herself off. The impact had knocked the wind out of her, but she was OK. She gave a quick nod to Zero and turned back to Stonekong.

"Did you come here for Bass?" X asked. "What are your plans?!"

"You refuse to give us the alien energy," Stonekong replied. "That robot was exposed to it, and it still exists inside of him... We will take him as a substitute."

"Take me?!" Bass snarled. "Nobody's goin' nowhere 'til Mega Man's dead!!!"

Suddenly, Bass flew backwards against the wall. Mega Man got up and and aimed his Mega Buster at Stonekong, a familiar look of determination in his eyes. "Hold it!" he shouted.

"Rock? What are you doing?" X asked.

"I may have been out of it for a few years, but I still know what's wrong and right!" Mega Man replied, glaring at Stonekong. "I can't believe I'm saying this, monkey man... but if you want Bass, you'll have to go through me!"

Stonekong cracked a smile. "Ah, the famous Mega Man..." he growled. "The first robot to ever fight for what he believed in... Though you have my respect, you won't survive..." He drew his sword and pointed it at Mega Man. "Your legend died long ago, as you should have."

X swallowed hard. His own X-Buster was seventeen times stronger than Mega Man's weapon, and he had barely made a dent in Stonekong when they had battled years before. What chance did Mega Man have?

* * *

Blackness became grayness, which drifted to bright white. Roll moaned softly as she reached up and rubbed at her eyes, stunned by the lights' brilliance. The medical cot felt soft and cool beneath her back, calibrated for the optimum comfort of its patient. Still overcome with fatigue, she let a quiet moan escape her mouth.

"Oh, you're awake?" a voice asked, a form appearing to her right. She tilted her head and saw the straw-haired boy she had seen before watching her anxiously.

"Ohhh..." she groaned. She sat up but immediately her vision whirled.

"Easy, there!" Darren said, gently helping her into a sitting position. "You've had a long nap..." He reached down and produced a bottle of liquid. "Here, drink this. It'll help."

Roll wasn't quite sure who this fellow was, and as a robot she didn't need to drink anything, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings. She took the bottle and sipped, and hung on the wonderful feeling of cold water rushing down her throat. She took several greedy gulps and sighed with relief.

"Yeah, that's better, isn't it?" Darren asked. "How are you feeling?"

Roll put down the bottle, wondering why the boy would be asking that. After a moment, she remembered where she was and her stomach tensed up again. "Oh..." she sighed. "It wasn't..."

"Sorry, what?" Darren asked.

Roll shook her head. "I thought this was just a dream... but if you're still here..." she said.

Darren nodded slowly. "Ah, yes..." he replied. "I guess waking up 200 years into the future is kind of disturbing... Mega Man seems to enjoy it, though."

"I know..." Roll sighed, pulling her knees to her chin. "Does he understand, though? Dr. Light is gone... We'll never see him again... What kind of a world is this now, without him...?"

Darren sighed. "I understand how you feel," he said, "but it's not as bad as you're making it out to be."

"...What?" Roll asked.

"Dr. Light's work changed this world for the better," Darren replied. "It took some doing, but humans and Reploids are coexisting pretty peacefully nowadays... There hasn't been a major war in decades."

Roll paused, then touched Darren's arm. He stepped back a bit, puzzled. "Uh... What?" he asked.

"Oh, sorry," Roll apologized. "I didn't realize that you were a human... Those others who came in before looked like humans, but..."

Darren smiled. "Yeah, Reploids look almost exactly like people. Isn't that neat? We're not as different as you'd think..."

Roll smiled back, but then grew gloomy again. "I miss him..." she said.

Darren nodded again. "I know," he said. "I've lost people who were important to me, too."

Roll looked at him. "How... How did you handle it?" she asked.

Darren folded his arms and looked at the ceiling. "I just remembered everything they taught me, and the ways they made me feel... When I did that, it made me feel better, like they were still alive." He looked at Roll and smiled again. "There's an old saying: 'the people around us never really die as long as we keep them alive in our hearts.'"

Roll hesitated.

"If it makes you feel better, Dr. Light's work is one of the reasons that the professor and me decided on our careers," Darren went on. "So I guess you could say... a little of him is in the both of us, and every other person who works with Reploids."

Roll stared at the floor for a moment, then sighed again. "I... I guess that does make me feel a little better..." she said. "Thank you... um..."

Darren held out his hand. "My name's Darren," he said.

Roll took it. "Roll," she replied.

"Would you like to go outside, Roll?" Darren asked. "I've got some friends who would like to meet you."

Roll nodded, and Darren helped her off the cot. They left the medical room and walked to the museum's main hall, where Sharon and Snake Man were decorating for the New Year's party. Rush and Tango were milling about, Tango sitting on the information booth counter and Rush eyeing Sharon intently.

"Hey, D!" Sharon said, hopping off a ladder, Rush immediately running to her side. "Oh, is the other one up now?"

"Very nice," Snake Man replied. "We were getting worried."

"Guys, this is Roll," Darren said, motioning to her. "Roll, this is Sharon, and that's Snake Man."

"H... Hello," Roll said quietly, giving a respectful bow.

"Hi there!" Sharon said, walking up and pumping Roll's hand vigorously. "Nice to meet ya! I met your brother earlier... Still meeting his dog." She glared at the over-friendly hound.

"Hello," Snake Man acknowledged, deciding based on Mega Man's reaction not to stick his hand out.

Roll turned to Darren. "So... This is a museum?" she asked.

"Yeah," Darren replied. "Come on, I'll show you around."

Just then, Professor Smith came running into the room. "Guys! Guys! We've got a problem!!!" he yelled. "Quick! Come to my lab!!!"

"What's wrong, professor?" Darren asked as everyone followed the panicking man back to the iMarc's huge monitor. The screen displayed an image of a small room with several colored dots inside of it. A light blue one was in the middle of the room, between a black one and a large, red, greek symbol.

"I've been watching Iris's progress since they left," Smith explained quickly. "They're in the basement of a Wily fortress... Mega Man has just challenged a Maverick by himself!"

"What?!" Sharon asked. "No way!!!"

"But with his current systems, he'll be eaten alive..." Snake Man growled.

"Rock...?" Roll asked. "He's that blue spot?"

"Yeah," Darren answered. "That red letter is the Maverick... What's that black dot, though?"

"From what I could hear, it's somebody named Bass," Smith replied, "...and he sounds like a total wack job!"

Roll's eyes widened. "Bass?!" she asked. "He's alive, too?!"

"He seems pretty bent on killing Mega Man," Smith continued. "I don't like where this is going..."

Roll balled her fists and stared at the screen. "...Rock..." she whispered.

"I need you guys to get down there and help," Smith said to Sharon and the others. "No telling what those two can do together."

"Actually..." a voice behind them said. "I don't think that'll be necessary."

They turned around to confront the mysterious person. Roll gasped, and Smith's eyes widened. "...I was wondering when I'd see you again..." he said.

* * *

Without another word, Soldier Stonekong flew at Mega Man and swung his blade. Mega Man slid underneath the ape and dodged the slice, then fired his Buster. His bright yellow plasma shot simply bounced off Stonekong's back, not even making a dent. "Uh..." he gulped, backing up a bit. "That's... not good."

"Your weapons are as aged as your mindset," Stonekong growled. "Try and dodge this!"

Stonekong whirled around and hurled his shield like a discus. Already worn out from his fight with Bass, Mega Man instinctively fired at it, but once again his weapon did nothing. The huge stone disc smashed into him, sending him flying against the wall. He cried out in pain as he impacted and sank to the floor.

"Mega Man!!!" X yelled, running towards Stonekong to help his brother. Iris and Zero did the same.

"I shall not be bothered by the likes of you," Stonekong growled as he looked at them and raised his arm. Instantly a ring of large, stone, monkey-head statues dropped from the ceiling and trapped the Hunters.

"Hey!" Iris huffed, kicking at the statues. "Let us out!"

"It looks like Stonekong wants his one-on-one," Zero growled, "and we can only watch."

As Stonekong advanced on him, Mega Man slowly pulled himself off of the ground. "Oh... I can't... lose..." he panted. "Can't... let 'im... get... the energy..."

"Your passion is admirable, but your body is frail," Stonekong said as he walked. "You should have stayed in your grave..."

Mega Man raised his gun again, but another blow knocked him to the ground. He looked up to see Bass hovering over him, his eyes still wild and crazy. "No!" he snapped. "No, no, no! Mega Man's MINE. I get to kill him! ME!!!"

"What's this?" Stonekong laughed. "How chivalrous, Mega Man... You put yourself at risk for someone who hates you far more than I. Still, that will not save you."

"Beat it, monkey!!!" Bass snarled, grabbing Mega Man's chin and starting to pull backwards. "I'm gonna kill 'im! I'm the strongest! ME! THE STRONGEST!!!"

Mega Man's vision was starting to blacken; he could almost feel all the fibers in his neck giving way to Bass's yanking. As much as he tried to struggle, Bass's iron grip was absolute. He could feel himself slipping away...

Suddenly, a melodic whistle pierced the stale air. "Huh?" X asked. "What's that?"

In the corner of the room appeared the trenchcoated man from the cafe. "That guy..." Zero said.

The man turned to Bass and Mega Man. "...Looks like you're in a fix, Rock," he said.

"Who are you?" Soldier Stonekong growled.

The man turned to the Maverick and grinned. "Someone who's going to even the odds," he said.

With one swift motion, he threw off his coat and hat. Beneath it he wore a stocky gray and red outfit similar to Mega Man's, and a large red and white shield was strapped to his back. His red helmet was decorated with several white streaks across the forehead. The yellow collar he had had actually been a yellow scarf.

Bass snarled. "YOU!!!" he yelled.

Without another word, the man was at Bass's side. With one swift blow, the out-of-control robot was out cold on the ground. Mega Man fell on his back and rubbed at his neck, gasping for breath.

"You'll be fine, now," the man said to him. "Finish this joker, like you always do." He took a few steps backward and vanished.

"Woah!" Iris exclaimed. "Who was that?!"

Mega Man hesitated, then got on his feet again. Much to everyone's surprise, he now wore a brave smile. "OK, Stonekong, I'm ready for you now!" he declared as he readied his Buster again.

Stonekong laughed. "So, you have some spunk left, hmm? Very well, then!"

He pulled out his sword and charged at Mega Man again. He swung and sliced, but the blue robot dodged every attack. Every time his sword came down, Mega Man slid away, and since Stongkong was so big he didn't have the speed to turn around and counter.

"Well..." Zero admitted from behind their rocky cell. "He's faster than he looks."

Stonekong was getting very frustrated with chasing such an ancient machine around the room. "Speed won't help you now!!!" he growled, pulling back his shield and hurling it with deadly accuracy.

Mega Man took the blow in the chest, but grabbed onto the rocky plate and spun through the air with it. When it neared the wall, he planted his feet on the vertical surface and pushed, launching the shield and himself back at the Maverick, firing his gun into Stonekong's face several times. The mechanical monkey didn't like this at all, and held up his arms to stop the pelting.

"Hey, Magilla! Simon didn't say!!!" Mega Man shouted, leaping off of the shield.

Stonekong tried to get his arms in position to stop the whirling rock, but it was too late. The shield smashed into his stomach, sending shrapnel and fluids every which way. He howled in pain and toppled onto his back, a gaping hole now open and revealing his inner circuitry.

"I'm no scientist..." Mega Man said, aiming his Buster, "but I'm sure there's a lot less armor in there!"

Stonekong snarled angrily. "Damn..." he growled. "I have lost... to a primative."

Mega Man fired into the hole, and Soldier Stonekong exploded. The shockwaves shook the whole building, dropping dirt particles from the ceiling.

"Uh-oh..." X gulped. "I think this place is coming down!"

"Professor!" Iris shouted into her communicator. "Get us out of here, quickly!"

"I can only teleport you one at a time!" Smith replied. "I'll try, but..."

The ceiling shook again, and Zero vanished.

"Rock!" X called through the rocks. "Get over here, quick!"

Mega Man looked around, then grabbed Bass and started dragging him towards them.

"Mega Man, what are you doing?!" Iris asked.

"I can't leave him here!" Mega Man replied.

"...But..." Iris started, then she vanished as well.

X watched, but dragging Bass was taking a lot out of Mega Man. "Rock, hurry!" he warned. "I don't know if the professor can teleport you if you're over there!"

"Don't worry!" Mega Man said, continuing to pull his rival. "Things'll be fine!"

X opened his mouth to protest, but then disappeared.

"OK... Now it's our turn!" Mega Man growled as he arrived at the statues. Suddenly, there was an awful crash, and all of the monkey heads crumbled into dust. Without Stonekong to control them, they didn't last long.

Mega Man looked up and saw the ceiling dropping towards him. "...Uh-oh..." was all that he managed.

* * *

X reappeared in the museum teleporter and quickly ran to the lab. He found everyone inside, looking pretty shaken. "Come on, prof!" he said. "Get Rock out of there!"

"X..." Zero said. "...The building collapsed."

"There's... There's nothing left..." Iris choked.

"I couldn't get him out in time," Smith said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"What?!" X gasped, recoiling. "No..."

"Rock..." Roll panted, her voice thick with emotion.

"What? What's up, sis?" a voice asked behind them.

Everyone whirled around to see Mega Man standing in the doorway, bruised and beat-up as they had left him, with the unconscious Bass slung over his shoulder. The mysterious red-helmeted man stood behind them.

Everyone gave expressions of delight and relief. "Rock!!!" Roll practically screamed, running and throwing herself on him.

"Whew..." X wheezed. "That was close!"

"Easy, there, Roll!..." Mega Man winced. "I did just get pounded on, after all..." He turned and smiled at the man behind him. "Thanks!"

The man cracked a faint smile. "Any time, little brother," he replied.

Zero glared at the man. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Just a friend," the man replied, taking a step backward. "Someone who'll lend a hand with your problems."

Iris scratched her head. "Well... thanks," she said. "What's your name?"

The man turned away. "My name's Proto Man," he replied. "See you around, Iris." With that, he was gone again.

"...Proto Man?!" X asked. "You mean..."

Roll nodded. "Yeah... The very first robot that Dr. Light made... our older brother."

"That was Blues?" Mega Man asked. "But... he was so much bigger... and stronger!..."

"Um, I can explain that..." Smith said. Everyone turned and looked at him. "Er... But first, why don't we see what we can do with that robot you've got, Rock?"

* * *

An hour later, Smith, Mega Man, Roll, Iris and Darren stood in the medical room. Bass was nearby, strapped to the cot with strong, metallic straps. "Don't worry," Smith said. "If he wakes up, he can't break free."

"What's the verdict, professor?" Iris asked.

"Well, he's in great shape... but being constantly active for two hundred years has degraded his logic chip beyond repair," he replied. "I'd have to make him a new one... unless you like him as a raving psychopath."

"Huh... I guess it'd be nice to make him a new one," Mega Man said. "How long would that take?"

"Rock, you're not serious, are you?!" Roll asked. "That's Bass! He always tries to kill you!"

"Why would you bring back someone like that, anyway?" Iris asked. "He didn't seem at all friendly..."

Mega Man sighed. "I just wondered what Dr. Light would have wanted me to do. I think he'd say that if Bass had been down there for two hundred years already, he wouldn't have wanted to be buried there."

Darren smiled. "That's what you think too, isn't it?" he asked.

Mega Man hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah... I think it is," he said.

"Hmm..." Smith hemmed, looking hard at Mega Man. "That's an interesting viewpoint for you to have, Mega Man. That's pretty deep, you thinking something that your master didn't program you to think..."

"Yeah, that is, isn't it...?" Mega Man said, scratching his chin. Smith smiled and turned back to Bass to double-check his findings.

"By the way, professor," Iris piped up. "You said you could explain why Proto Man became so strong?"

Smith hesitated. "...Yeah, I can," he replied. "It's because I turned him into a Reploid."

Everyone recoiled. "You WHAT?!" they asked unanimously.

"It was my first big project, back when I worked for Ribosome," Smith said. "My assignment was to develop a system for transforming ancient robots into modern-day Reploids. I forget the reason; something only profitable, no doubt. They handed me an old robot Ribosome's men had found on a dig earlier to work with, and it turned out to be Proto Man. Once I activated him, we got to be friends and he agreed to let me do my job. I worked for a long time, but I finally succeeded in altering his programming. I even modified his body to have all the working Reploid mechanisms." He turned and sighed. "After that, he decided that he didn't want to be a marketing icon for Ribosome and left, leaving me with no finished project. I got demoted for that... Still, I'm glad it worked."

Mega Man grinned. "Me, too," he replied. "It was good to see him again!"

Smith's eyes lit up. "Hey, there's a thought!" he exclaimed, turning to Rock and Roll. "How about I turn you guys into Reploids?"

Mega Man jumped. "Us? Reploids?" he asked.

"It would take a few days, but I could upgrade your systems," Smith went on. "You'd be able to think about things more deeply, feel more emotions, and your weapons would be stronger, too."

Iris blinked. "You could really do that?" she asked.

"Yeah," Smith answered. "I saved the information from when I upgraded Proto Man, so doing it again would be a snap! How about it, guys?"

Mega Man looked as if he would approve, but Roll folded her arms. "I don't know..." she said.

"What?" Iris asked. "What's wrong, Roll?"

"It's just all so sudden..." Roll replied. "Waking up now... Being asked to change my whole body... Why?"

Darren nodded slowly. "I see..." he said, turning to Smith. "You don't mind if we take them for a walk, do you, professor?"

Smith shrugged. "No, go right ahead. Just be back in time for the New Year's party; it's mandatory."

"Come on, Iris," Darren said, motioning for the door. "Mega Man, Roll, you guys come, too."

"Where are we going?" Roll asked as Darren led them towards the exit.

"We're going to show you the city," he replied. "Grab a coat; it's pretty cold."

* * *

The sky was turning from orange to violet over St. Paul as the four friends stepped out of the museum. A gentle snow was falling despite the light. "Woah..." Mega Man gasped almost immediately. "It's snowing, but there aren't any big clouds! How...?"

"St. Paul has a weather control system," Iris replied. "It's covered by an energy field that creates all kinds of weather, but sometimes the weather outside of the field overlaps and creates something like this..."

"So... It's clear outside, and snowing inside?" Mega Man asked. "Too cool!"

"Yeah..." Roll replied, blowing on her chilled hands. "Very."

Iris and Darren led the 20XX robots down to Ecolab plaza, where several people and Reploids were dashing about, making last-minute preparations for the New Year's celebrations. "Humans and Reploids live pretty peacefully now," Darren said, motioning to the crowd. "See? There're one of each helping to carry some heavy boxes... and there's a whole Reploid family."

Mega Man and Roll looked. A male Reploid and a female one were walking down the street, a little girl Reploid in front of the man and the woman pushing a stroller. They all looked happy and carefree despite the snow. They passed a human police officer and he smiled and waved.

"Wow..." Mega Man said. "They ARE getting along well."

"It's been easier since Reploids came around," Darren explained. "Reploids can think deeper and act on their own, and strangely enough people aren't so afraid of them because of that."

"It's like this in most of the world," Iris started, her smile fading a bit, "but people like the Mavericks want to wreck it."

Mega Man frowned at this. Roll cast her eyes downward.

They visited a few other spots, such as the city park, the bridge over the highway and the library. At each one, they saw many signs of the friendships between humans and Reploids. By the time they got back to the museum, Mega Man was wearing his familiar smile, but Roll still seemed unconvinced.

"So, that's how it is now," Iris said. "Does that help?"

"You bet it does!" Mega Man replied. "This is awesome!"

"Is it?" Roll asked sadly, getting everyone's attention. "Rock... Dr. Light is dead. We're all alone, in a strange world... and now we have to get new bodies to fit in..."

Iris hesitated, not knowing what to say; she had never been too good at consoling people. Mega Man, however, walked up to his sister and smiled warmly. "Roll..." he said. "I know Dr. Light is gone. I may not have been acting like it, but I know."

Roll looked at him. "You did?" she asked.

"Yes," Mega Man answered, "but ever since I was reactivated, I've seen effects of what he's done. Did you see them? Robots feeling emotion, acheiving great things, getting along well with humans..." He paused and made a fist. "I've seen enough. I can't let anyone hurt what Dr. Light gave the world. That's why I'm going to keep fighting to keep it safe."

Roll blinked. "Rock..." she said.

"Besides..." Mega Man went on. "...I think Dr. Light would like it if we became as human as we could be."

Mega Man's words sank deep into Roll, but she was still hesitant. "...But..." she went on. "It's such a change..."

"I'm not going to say it isn't a big jump, but..." Darren said, approaching her and patting her shoulder. "Hey, you've got your brothers, and your pets... and I can't speak for everybody, but I'd like to be your friend, too..."

Roll looked at Darren. "...You would?" she asked.

Darren nodded. "I know Iris'll be your friend, too. Won't you, Iris?"

Iris nodded and smiled, and Roll smiled back. "...OK..." she replied. "...I'll do it."

"Great!" Darren said. "Let's go in and tell the professor."

As they walked towards the museum, Iris looked at Mega Man. "What about Bass?" she asked.

"I think that if he gets a new logic chip and becomes a Reploid, he'll be fine," Mega Man replied.

"Really?" Iris asked. "He seemed pretty wild back there..."

Mega Man nodded. "I know... but back home he did some pretty amazing things... He'll never admit it, but he has some justice in him."

"Err... Let's keep his weapons off for a while, just to be safe," Darren chuckled. "Don't want a trigger-happy Reploid in the museum, after all."

"Yeah," Iris giggled. "If you think Peabody gets mad now..."

* * *

The clock struck midnight and everybody rose their glasses high with a cry of "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" While some of the others toasted and drank and sang, Iris and Zero stood in the corner.

"A new year, a new set of possibilities," Iris sighed happily.

"Yes," Zero answered, glancing at Mega Man and Roll, who were mingling with the rest of the museum staff. "New chances as well..."

Iris and Zero smiled at each other warmly, and leaned a little closer.

Suddenly, Snake Man ran up to them. "Hey, guys!" he said. "Sharon's doing her lampshade dance again! Let's go watch!"

The two Reploids reluctantly separated, then walked over to watch. Sharon was bouncing around on the same table, with the same lampshade on her head that she'd worn at Christmas. "Should allll accountants be four gonged and neeeever brought two mine" she warbled.

Mega Man and Roll were watching her as well. "Um... Does she have a drinking problem?" Roll asked.

"No," Snake Man answered bluntly.

"...Who keeps spiking the eggnog?" Zero asked, eyeing the open carton.

"That's the one problem with Reploids," Iris sighed, shaking her head cheerfully. "We just can't hold our liquor."

Mega Man raised an eyebrow. "Maybe Dr. Light should have spent a bit more time on this," he said.

He looked up again and noticed Sharon staring right at him again. "Um... Yes?" he asked.

Sharon hesitated, then hiccuped. "Prof!" she yelled. "I'm seein' the blue gnomes again!!!" With that, she flopped over and passed out.

"Um..." Iris said.

"That's it," Snake Man sighed. "I'm only buying soda for our next party."


	7. The Things One Does For Love

**CHAPTER 7**

**THE THINGS ONE DOES FOR LOVE**

Professor Smith had been locked in his lab for two days. At first, Iris thought that he had just been keeping to himself, but as the time went by she started to wonder. Roll and Mega Man were also nowhere in sight, either.

"Have you seen the professor?" she asked Darren as he came back from his work shift.

"No," Darren replied. "I think he's working on the robots."

"The robots?" Iris asked. "For two days straight?"

"Making a Reploid takes a lot of work," Darren said with a shrug. "I've seen books on the subject, and they're huge."

"Hmm..." Iris answered, scratching her chin. If Smith had been in his lab for that long, he might be getting hungry. She didn't have to eat so much herself, but she knew that humans could collapse from lack of food. "I think I'll take him something to eat," she finally decided. "He could probably use a snack."

"That's a good idea," Darren replied with a smile. "I'm sure he'd like that."

Iris quickly dashed up to the staff lunchroom and raided the cabinets. In just a few moments she was backtracking to Smith's lab with a tasty-looking turkey sandwich, a bright red apple and a can of soda from the vending machine. "Maybe I'll get to see how the work's coming along, too," she thought out loud as she knocked on the door.

"Come on in!" Professor Smith's voice came from the other side.

"Hello, professor! I brought you some-" Iris started as she opened the door, but her words died as soon as she got a good look at the lab. Horrible, disgusting-looking masses floated around in jars on the desk. Huge vats of skin-colored goo bubbled on a stovetop. Piles of bone-like rods lay next to the jars. A large wad of yellow hair lay fallen about a metallic skull nearby. Professor Smith stood in front of a huge capsule filled with green liquid, a spindly, wirey figure floating inside. His eyes were baggy and his stubble was even longer than usual. His latex-gloved hands were coated with shiny, crimson blood. Two other capsules stood in the corner, also containing occupants. An ungodly stench filled the entire area. It was like something from a horror movie.

Smith looked over at Iris and gave her an energetic grin. "Hey, Iris!" he exclaimed. "What can I help you with?"

"Uh..." was all Iris could muster, holding out the plate. "I... uh... you... lunch."

"Lunch?" Smith asked, walking over and peeling off the bloody gloves. "Aww, geez! I haven't eaten for hours! Thanks a bunch, Iris."

Iris blinked a few times, still taking in the gruesome sight. "P... Professor... What..." she stammered. "What's going on in here?!"

Smith looked around. "This? I'm just getting ready to build a Reploid body for Roll," he explained. "I already got Bass's and Mega Man's finished; they're in the tubes solidifying."

"Roll?" Iris asked. "Where is she just now?"

Smith motioned to the capsule. "What's left of her body is in there," he said. "I downloaded her consciousness into my lab computer for now."

Iris eyed the icky contents. "All this... goes into making a Reploid?!" she asked.

"Yeah!..." Smith replied. "Well, modifying a robot into a Reploid anyway. I have to insert all the stuff that a Reploid has, such as blood flow regulation, neural pathways..." he motioned to the gross things in the jars. "Digestive systems... It's all one big biology lesson!"

"Err... I see..." Iris answered. "...What's that smell? Have you showered lately?"

Smith chuckled. "Oh, that's not me. That's the colon I'm growing."

Iris looked around again, starting to feel her breakfast surge inside of her. "Um... I think I'll leave you to your work..." she said, putting the food on the desk and backing away.

"OK," Smith replied. "I should be done with Roll by tonight. Come back then; you'll be amazed at how all this stuff works!"

Iris quickly closed the lab door and walked away. "Oh..." she groaned, clutching her stomach. "Now I know why I don't want to study science..."

* * *

Sharon's eye twitched crossly. "Arrgh, this blows!" she growled, slamming her fist on the desk and glaring at the iMarc. "That's the last time I play online chess!"

"I keep telling you," X repeated from his chair nearby. "You're too fast. You need to calm down and think your moves through. Also-"

X noticed that Sharon was glaring at him and took the hint. "Err... I'll leave you to your venting," he muttered, getting up and leaving the room.

Sharon swore again and shook her fist at the monitor. "Stupid computer!" she growled, giving the hard drive a swift kick.

Immediately the screen turned to black, save for two white, glowing, upside-down triangles. "Might I ask that you refrain from doing that," a deep voice said.

Sharon screamed and fell out of her chair, then regained her senses. "Oh... Mr. Colonel!" she replied, standing up and saluting. "Sorry 'bout that!"

The eyes flickered. "You may dispense with the pleasantries, madam," he sighed. "A colonel without an army is not really a colonel..."

"Err... right," Sharon answered, a bit nervous about how the white eyes eerily stared right through her.

The two figures were silent a moment more. "...How is Iris?" Colonel finally asked.

"Iris?" Sharon asked. "Oh, she's fine... Real fine. She, uh, she likes it here."

At this moment, Iris happened to be walking along outside the door and leaned against the wall to regain control over her stomach. As she heard their voices, she grew curious and decided to listen in.

The computer gave a weary sigh. "That is good..." he answered. "I was worried at first, because I could not be there to protect her... but the professor seems very capable."

"Well, uh, I'll pass that along," Sharon answered with a miffed twinge; what were Darren and she, chopped liver? She tries to shake it off and keep a friendly rapport. "So, uh... What's it like in there?" she asked.

The eyes hesitated. "It is interesting," Colonel replied. "Locked in this computer without a body, one might think me a prisoner... but the professor was very kind in establishing network connection. I have freely wandered the entire museum network and learned many things..." he paused. "For example, the director takes two hundred dollars from the professor's paychecks each month for something called 'aggravation charges.'"

"Really?" Sharon asked. "Well... He wouldn't be happy to hear that."

"In this computer, I have become what most beings only dream of... an immortal," Colonel said. "I will live forever inside here."

"Well, unless someone hits the 'delete' key, anyway," she replied.

The eyes were silent. "OK, OK, that was a crummy joke," Sharon apologized.

"No, not that..." Colonel answered. "I was just thinking... What good is being immortal like this? I live in a world I can never touch... I cannot stroll through a park, nor can I take in a sunrise... I cannot be close to my sister as I have been in the past..."

Sharon gave the computer a sad look. "Yeah... That is kind of a bummer," she agreed.

"...Quite," Colonel replied quietly.

Iris sighed. She had leaned against the wall to calm over her guts, but listening to Colonel's lamentations had only made her feel worse.

"...Brother..." she whispered.

* * *

A few hours later, Iris returned to Smith's lab door and knocked. It opened and Smith peeked out. He looked about the same as when she had been there earlier, except now his stubble had traces of bread crumbs in it. "Oh, hi, Iris," he said. "Did you come to see the finished product? I'm almost done!"

"Well, um, OK..." Iris said, wincing at her memory of what she had seen before.

Smith moved away and Iris stepped in and gasped. Through some miracle, all of the nauseating jars and vats had vanished and only shiny, spotless desks and tools remained. The capsule Smith had been working on contained something bigger than before.

"Did you...?" Iris asked.

Smith grinned. "Take a look," he replied.

Iris walked to the capsule and looked up. In the bubbly, green water floated the body of a girl. She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen, with long, luxurious golden hair. Despite her body's proportions, she could still be recognized as Roll.

"Wow..." Iris managed. "Roll's new body...?"

"Yeah," Smith replied. "I discussed it with her earlier, and she said that she'd like to look a bit older."

"So, she's all ready to be reactivated?" she asked. "What about Mega Man, or that Bass person?"

"Yeah," Smith answered. "Charlie, erm, Professor Olson should be bringing clothes for them any minute now." He frowned. "I think we'd better keep Bass under close watch for a while. No telling what he'll do now that he has a new logic chip."

"I see..." Iris said, staring at the ground. Now seemed as good a time as any to pop her question. "Professor, about these techniques... Making Reploids and such..."

Smith glanced at her. "Yeah? What is it?" he asked.

"Well..." she hesitated. "Could you use them to make my brother his own body?"

Smith's smile faded. He had converted robots into Reploids several times, but he had never built one from scratch, especially one designed for a pre-made Reploid; he wasn't sure if he could pull it off. "Oh... I don't know, Iris..." he said. "I know I promised to get him one... but now that I'm looking at it, it's more complicated than I thought..."

Iris blinked a few times. "What? Why?" she asked.

"Well..." Smith went on, scratching the back of his head. "First of all, with Roll I used her body and just attached everything to it; I'd have to build the whole body, skeleton and all, which I've never done before. Secondly, if the body isn't made with Colonel's DNA, I don't know if his control chip would interface correctly with it... I might end up doing more harm than good." He paused and stared at Roll for a moment. "Besides... Even if we did still have a sample, DNA resurrection has been outlawed for years... I wouldn't want to do anything illegal..."

Iris sighed and turned away. "I see..." she said quietly.

Smith frowned and stared at Iris. He hated to anyone get upset, let alone someone he'd brought back into the world. "...I didn't say I wouldn't try," he said.

Iris looked up at him. "You will?" she asked, cracking a small smile.

"As soon as Olson gets here with the clothes and we wheel these capsules out of here, I'll start," Smith replied, knocking a few crumbs from his chin. "Well... maybe I'll take a shower, first..."

Iris was overjoyed; she could barely contain herself. "T-Thank you, professor!" she managed. "Here, I'll help move the capsules..."

Iris and Smith got on either side of Roll's capsule and started moving it towards the door. Fortunately, its wheels took most of the weight off of them.

They pushed it out the door just as Olson appeared with three bundles of clothing. "OK, the clothes are all ready!" he announced.

"Great," Smith replied. "Take them to the medical room."

* * *

"Well... in hindsight, I suppose moving a naked girl in a tube through a hallway during museum hours was a bad idea..." Iris muttered as she sat in the medical room with Darren and X. The new Reploids had been taken out of their capsules, clothed and now rested on cots, their hibernation not quite finished.

"Yeah," Darren agreed. "Although, it was funny when you rounded that corner and ran into those Catholic elementary students on that field trip."

"At least everything worked out all right," X noted. "The professor's taking most of the heat, as usual."

"I know..." Iris sighed. "He's always looking out for us... I hope he didn't get in too much trouble."

Suddenly, Roll gave a soft moan. "Hey! She's waking up," Darren said as he walked over to the cot.

Roll's eyes fluttered open and she looked around. "Oh..." she said. "...Hello."

"Good to see you again," X chuckled. "The professor's all finished."

"He is?" Roll asked, sitting up and looking herself over. Her outfit was the same as when Smith had put her under, but she felt a totally different sensation from the fabric. "I... I'm a Reploid now?"

"Bass, your brother AND you," Iris said. "Congratulations!"

X helped her off the cot and she stood barefoot on the linoleum floor. "So... This is...?" she started as she took a step. Suddenly, she wobbled, tripped and crashed down on top of Darren. He was so surprised that he toppled backwards and knocked Iris to the ground as well.

"Ooogh..." he groaned. "Guess you'll need to get used to that..."

Roll got off of Darren, looked behind her and gasped; unlike before, her legs were thin and graceful, like a human's. "I... I have human legs?..." she asked.

"Well, lookalikes, anyway," X replied. "It'll take a while for you to get used to them."

Roll got back on her feet and wobbled forward again. "Is there something wrong?" she asked, clutching at her chest. "That's odd, feels like I got something heavy stuck to my..." She looked down and her eyes widened. "Ahh?! I've got-" she started.

"Uh, Iris, you'd better field that one," Darren muttered, his cheeks turning pink.

"Ughhh..." Mega Man groaned from his cot. "What's for breakfast?..."

"Ah, good, you're up," X said. "Roll just came around, too."

Mega Man got up and edged himself off of the cot. He took a few steps and toppled over just as Roll had. "Hey! My legs are skinny!" he exclaimed.

X sighed. "This is going to take a while..." he grumbled.

"Well, we'd better go talk to Peabody," Darren noted. "Looke like he'll be needing to hire some more hands... and we'll have to get them an apartment, I guess..."

"HEY!" a yell came from the other cot. Everyone whirled around to see Bass awake and struggling against the straps on his cot. "What's this?! Let me go, right now!" he snarled.

"Easy, Bass," Darren warned. "Don't push yourself; you just had an operation."

Bass gave him an angry look. "Operation?!" he asked. "What's going on?! Are you going to send me back to Wily? No way I'm going back to him!"

"Wily...?" Iris asked. "Oh, right! Smith had to erase part of his memory..."

"I guess we'd better explain things to him," X said. "Or rather, Zero should probably explain it."

"Zero?" Darren asked. "Why Zero?"

"Zero was made by Wily, too," X replied. "They're siblings, like Rock and me. Besides, if Bass gets out of control, Zero can deal with him without a problem."

"Hmm... Good point," Iris agreed. "OK, I'll go and get him." She turned and walked out of the room.

"Hey, who was that hottie?" Bass asked, grinning lewdly. "This might not be so bad after all!"

"Oh, boy..." Darren sighed.

* * *

"H-here's that wine you asked for, s-sir," a lone Reploid stammered as he skittered up to Agile's throne and handed the Maverick master a glass of blood-red liquid. "Oh... and I h-have a report..."

Agile lifted the glass to his lips and sucked at it bitterly. "Hmm..." he replied.

"The... retrieval of Bass was a failure," the Reploid went on. "I-Iris and the Maverick Hunters have taken him... and S-Soldier Stonekong was defeated... b-by Mega Man..."

Agile shot the Reploid a sidelong glare. "I know already, Stevens," he said. "Now get out of my sight."

Stevens nervously bowed, then slowly inched away. When he'd reached the door, Agile gave a loud, frustrated shirek.

"Oh, curses! Curse it all!" he fumed, picking up the glass and angrily hurling it across the room. It hit Stevens's head and shattered, sending him to the floor a corpse.

The voluptuous Dr. Golgi entered the room, noticed the body and adjusted her glasses. "...Is there a problem, mister Agile?" she asked.

"It's those Hunters!" Agile yelled, banging on his throne. "Even after a hundred years, they haven't lost their edges! To add to that, these Mavericks are worthless! The leaders are beaten faster than punching bags, and the grunts would rather run than fight!" he pointed at the glass-covered body. "Look at what I have to work with, here!" he exclaimed.

Golgi simply smiled. "Is that all, sir?" she asked. "I'd hate to have seen what you'd have done to him on a bad day... You shouldn't kill your aides so quickly; we only have so many men."

"Bah!" Agile harrumphed with a wave of his hand. "It's not like we can't get more from our supplier. These Reploids are expendable."

"...Besides, you needn't worry," Golgi went on.

Agile laughed coldly. "Hah! Don't tell me YOU have a plan," he asked.

"I think I might," Golgi replied. "How would you like to get all the stuff back that Iris has... and take them all out at the same time?..."

"That's what you told me about the clones," Agile replied. "If you don't remember, two were killed and one is AWOL! What makes you think this new plan will be any different?"

"Because..." Golgi said, holding up a small computer chip. "The worst place to hit somebody... is the heart."

* * *

Another two days had passed at the science museum. At first Peabody had outright refused to hire the new arrivals, but Snake Man once again reminded him of the profits they could make from showcasing the ancient heroes to the public. Greed triumphed over rage again, and Mega Man, Roll and Bass became a tour guide, a mechanic and a janitor, respectively.

Bass complained often, but did the work anyway. Without Dr. Wily to take him in, and without a Buster to fight Mega Man with, he didn't have much choice in the matter. Still, in the back of his mind, his loathing of the blue robot remained and flourished. With his new Reploid power, he reasoned, sooner or later he could obtain a weapon, defeat Mega Man and prove himself to be the strongest robot.

At the moment, though, his mind was far from revenge. "Urrgh..." he grumbled as he carried his spent mop to the closet to clean it. "If one more kid hurls in the zero-gravity exhibit, I swear, I'm gonna-"

Something hard slammed into his shoulder, and someone else grunted. He reeled around and came face-to-face with a red-armored girl Reploid. She folded her arms and frowned, her attractive eyes trying hard not to boil over in fury.

"Watch where you're going!" Sharon snapped.

"Heh! Watch where I'M going?!" Bass retorted. "YOU'RE the security guard. Shouldn't you be watching everything?"

"You were staring right at me," Sharon replied. "You could've moved!"

"Well, maybe I didn't want to," Bass chuckled. "Maybe I like crashing into hotheads just to see 'em explode."

Sharon's jaw clenched; Bass could tell just how furious he was making her. "Listen, buddy," she threatened in a soft voice. "You're new here, so I'll let that slide. Just don't go looking for trouble... You don't know how much of it you'll find."

She brushed past him and kept going. Bass looked after her and snickered. "...Did it hurt?" he asked.

Sharon turned around, confused. "Did what hurt?" she asked.

Bass grinned. "When that stick got jammed up your ass!" he replied, bursting with laughter.

Sharon's eyes narrowed to dealy slits. "WHY, YOU LITTLE!!!" she screeched, balling her fists and charging. The two clashed and rolled about on the floor, punching and kicking and cursing.

* * *

Roll was having some difficulty with her job as well. She had tinkered with little upgrades for her brother in the past, but the huge omnitheater machine was something totally different. "Oh, my..." she said as she looked at the tall, blue, spherical projector. "It's so big..."

"Yeah, it is," Darren, who had been asked to train her, said. "I freaked when I first saw it... but I got the hang of it pretty quickly. Here, let me show you the inside."

Darren opened the machine's door and they stepped inside to a room full of switches and diodes and blinking lights. Roll gasped as she glanced around. "All of this goes into making a projector?" she asked.

"Yup," Darren replied bluntly. "Here, let me start you off with the lighting systems..."

Darren explained in the simplest terms he could how the projector cast light beams all over the theater to display widescreen films, and how it could also be used to make the room a planetarium through connecting it to the museum's computerized star charts. Roll listened intently, nodding when she understood and asking questions when she did not. Darren was relieved to see that she was calm and understanding of his explanation; maybe she'd turn out to be a good mechanic, just like him.

"...And that's all there is to the lighting," he finished as he set down a toolbox. "It's a bit on the fritz just now, so why don't you try tuning it?"

"Well, OK," Roll answered, taking a screwdriver and reaching for the panel. After she got it open and looked inside, she gave a relieved sigh. "Whew... This doesn't look so hard..." she said.

"It isn't," Darren replied. "It looks imposing to newcomers, but it's pretty user-friendly."

Roll poked and prodded inside the machine for a few moments, lifting some parts and tightening others. She could tell that she was going to be there a while, so she decided to make some pleasant conversation with her tutor. "So..." she said as she worked. "How did you get into this?"

Darren raised an eyebrow. "How did I get into what?" he asked.

"Machines," Roll replied. "Gadgets and gizmos. Did you always love them?"

Darren chuckled. "Oh, yeah," he replied. "Ever since I was a kid, I was always pulling stuff apart and putting it back together."

Roll smiled. "That must have driven your parents crazy," she said.

Darren frowned and looked away, his gaze lost in a far-off look. "Yeah..." he answered. "Yeah, it did..."

Roll sensed that Darren wasn't big on opening up on that subject, so she tried something else. "So, uh, how'd you get into the Maverick Hunters?" she asked. "You don't seem like someone who likes violence..."

Darren chuckled and shook his head. "No, no I'm not," he said. "Once I went on an adventure with Iris and the others, though, it was hard to stay away."

"An adventure?" Roll asked, amazingly still focused on tuning the projector. She didn't realize it, but multitasking was another great feature of her new Reploid systems. "What was it like?" she asked.

Darren smiled at her request for a story. He cleared his throat and sat down on a nearby console to be comfortable. "Well, it was only about a month ago, really," he began. "Professor Smith had just received a huge package, and inside it was..."

* * *

"OK, now, what seems to be the problem?" X asked, folding his arms and trying his best to look grumpy. Suffice to say, he hadn't mastered it like Zero had.

Zero and he stood before Bass and Sharon, both of whom sported wounds from their hallway scuffle. "This jerk was calling me names!" Sharon growled, rubbing a nasty-looking black eye. "Cobra boy said I was uptight and hotheaded!"

Bass cackled wryly, wiping some blood from his lip. "Bumping into me with all my janitorial supplies like that, trash-talking me and then jumping me..." he retorted. "He's the one who started it."

Sharon whirled on him with flames in her eyes. "HE?!" she yelled.

Bass feigned surprise. "What, you're a she?" he asked. "Heh. Could've fooled me, cactus flats."

"OK, that's it!!!" She balled her knuckles and started towards Bass again.

"OK, OK, calm down, Sharon," X said calmly.

"Calm down?!" Sharon snapped. "What, you're taking HIS side?!"

"No, I'm not," X replied. "I simply mean-"

"Yeah, of course you'd believe HER," Bass snorted. "Nobody trusts the new guy! That's how it is around here, ain't it?"

"It's kinda hard to trust a WILY bot, mister!" Sharon growled.

"Guys, come on!" X pleaded, starting to get flustered. "I'm trying to help resolve this before-"

"You're as nutty as a fruitcake!" Sharon yelled.

"Why don't you saunter over to the kitchen and get me a soda?!" Bass replied with a glower.

"Sure! You want that jammed up your nose or down your throat?!" Sharon snarled, lunging at Bass.

"Whichever you want! Just give yourself one, too!" Bass retaliated, throwing his knuckle.

"Guys, come on, I- GAGH!!!" X yelped as both Bass and Sharon's punches smashed into his face. They both hesitated, then pulled away as he sank to his knees.

"Oh, geez!" Sharon gulped, lowering her fist. "X, I'm so sorry!"

"Damn," Bass grumbled. "Why'd you go and do that, man?"

"I've seen enough," Zero growled, glaring at the two of them. He pointed a menacing finger at Bass. "You shouldn't go picking fights with everyone you see, or sooner or later someone's going to shut you up permanently."

Sharon beamed. "Yeah, you tell 'im, Z!" she cheered.

"And YOU," Zero went on, pointing at the surprised Sharon, "need to control your temper. You get so angry that you don't know who your fists will hit, like right now." He pointed at X, who was rubbing his sore cheeks on the ground.

He helped X up and turned away. "We have to get back to work," he said to Bass and Sharon. "You two sort this out on your own... WITHOUT blows."

Sharon nodded, casting a cross glare at Bass. Bass snorted and folded his arms.

X and Zero walked down the hallway towards the labs. "Whew..." X sighed. "That was some interesting stuff you said back there," he said.

Zero gave a faint smile. "You just have to know how to talk to some people," he replied.

Suddenly, the hallway rocked with the sound of a huge explosion, and both Hunters were thrown to the ground. Immediately black smoke poured out from underneath Smith's laboratory door.

"What the...?!" X gasped, his eyes fixed on the smoke. "Professor!"

"Come on," Zero growled, running to the door and banging on it with his fist. "Professor! Are you all right?!"

The door opened and more smoke billowed out. Inside they could hear Smith cursing between coughs. "Ugh... The vent... The vent!" he yelled.

X groped around on the wall, found a switch and flipped it. The sound of rushing air began, and the smoke slowly dissipated. When it was gone, the Hunters gawked at the chaos the lab was in.

Broken jars were scattered around the desks, icky-colored liquids dripping from them. The computer monitor displayed a black screen and two white rectangles, positioned to look like an unconscious face. A large, broken capsule leaned against the wall, cracked glass and pinkish-whitish goo spattered all around it. Inside the capsule was the remnants of what could have been a Reploid skeleton. If it been stomach-churning when Iris had walked in, the new condition was prime for chunk-blowing.

"Dammit..." Smith growled, leering at the machine through his cracked glasses. "That's the fifth time it's done that! What am I doing wrong?!"

"My God..." X said. "Professor, what were you doing in here?"

Smith sighed. "Given my success with turning Roll and the others into Reploids, I thought I'd try to make good on my promise to Colonel and Iris," he explained.

"Colonel?" Zero asked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, right... You promised him a body..."

"Yeah..." Smith replied, "I've built one that should contain Colonel's program, but every time I try to upload it..." he motioned to the mess.

"So, the body is rejecting the program," X reasoned. "I wonder why?"

"It's quite simple, really," a luscious voice said.

Everyone turned. A long-legged, pronounced-chested, bespectacled woman in a labcoat stood in the doorway. She gave them all a seductive smile. Peabody appeared behind her with a smug look on his face.

"Eh?" Zero asked. "Who're you?"

The woman adjusted her glasses. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm Venessa Golgi, a doctor of Robotology like Professor Smith."

"I wanted to introduce Dr. Golgi to you all," Peabody said in his haughty tone, motioning to Golgi. "I've hired her to supervise the Reploid museum staff. She'll be giving you your orders for the day and directing you as needed."

"I... What?" Smith asked, recoiling from shock. This woman was going to take his job? Had Peabody finally had enough of him?

"Supervise?" X asked, confused. "Well... Not to be rude, sir, but isn't that Professor Smith's job?"

Peabody chuckled in an unpleasant way. "Of course, of course," he replied. "Dr. Golgi will be sharing the job with the professor. That way I know things will get done... even better than before." He shot a wayward sneer at Smith.

Golgi walked into the lab and looked around. "Well..." she said. "Looks like you had a bit of an accident, professor."

"Err..." Smith gulped, his face going red.

"Very good," Peabody said from the door. "Now, Dr. Golgi, as your first duty here, help these people clean up this room. There will be an introductory staff meeting in an hour." He glared at Smith again, then turned and left, cackling with glee in the back of his mind. If he could get Dr. Golgi to take over the Reploid duties, he could fire Smith and be rid of him forever. Maybe then, the museum could actually be run properly without having to deal with all these crazy Maverick problems.

"Hmm..." Golgi said, walking further in and looking around. "You boys must have been having some fun in here."

"Well, uh..." Smith started.

Golgi turned to X and Zero. "Why don't you two go and get the janitor?" she asked. "That'll help speed up the cleaning."

"OK," X replied, dashing out the door. Zero hesitated, gave her a suspicious look, then followed his friend.

Smith glanced around. "I have a mop in the back. I'll get started," he said, starting for a closet.

Golgi slowly bent over in front of him, extended a finger and scraped some of the fleshy goo off of the ground. "Hmm..." she said, rubbing it between her fingertips. "This compound is the best thing for making Reploid flesh..." She smiled at Smith. "Not exactly museum-specific work, is this, professor?..."

Smith panicked; if Peabody knew exactly what types of things he was building in the labs, he'd have even more of a reason to be fired. Still, he managed not to show it to Golgi. "...No, I'm building some models for a new exhibit," he replied. "They want the cavemen to look as lifelike as possible!" He forced a smile; would his new partner fall for this fib?

Apparently she would. "Aha..." she replied slowly, another seductive smile gracing her lips. "I understand. I'm very good at building Reploids myself, you know... Perhaps we can work on it... together."

"Err... Maybe," Smith replied, scratching his head. "Well, um, let's clean this up and then go to the conference room. Don't want to keep Peabody waiting!"

* * *

"I don't get it," Sharon said, leaning back in her chair. All of the Reploids and the professors were sitting in the museum staff conference room, waiting for Peabody to appear and make his announcement. "Why did we all get called up here anyway?"

"I don't know," Iris replied. "I thought only senior staff got to come to these meetings, not tour guides and security guards."

"Peabody said that this has to do with the Reploid staff," Professor Wallace Krein, a long-haired, gangly friend of Smith's, replied.

"Reploids, huh?" Mega Man asked, looking cheerful as usual. "Maybe he's going to give us all raises!"

"I doubt it," Snake Man grumbled. "He's probably going to fire us."

"I don't think so," Zero replied, folding his arms. "This is about the new scientist he hired."

"New...?" Roll started.

"Ah, good!" Peabody said as he walked into the room, Smith and Golgi behind him. "You're all here on time... for a change." He turned around and motioned for Golgi to move in front of him. "I want to introduce you all to Dr. Venessa Golgi, our newest staff member. She'll be working alongside Professor Smith in managing the Reploid staff, as well as various other museum duties."

Golgi smiled again and stroked her hair. "Hello," she said in her husky, arousing voice. "I'm pleased to meet you. I'm sure we'll all work well together."

"I expect all of you to give Dr. Golgi the same respect that you've given Professor Smith," Peabody said. "In fact, feel free to give her more." He chuckled lightly.

Nobody else laughed with him, so he frowned and went on. "That's all," he finished. "Be back at your posts in twenty minutes." He turned and left, muttering under his breath.

"Well..." Golgi said, adjusting her glasses. "So, to whom do I owe the honor, here?..."

One by one, each person introduced himself or herself to Golgi and shook her hand, welcoming her to the museum. She smiled through the whole event, never seeming to be shy of anyone or confused.

"Well, this is nice," Olson said to Krein. "It's always good to have another pair of hands around here."

"Especially a pair like those," Krein replied with a grin. "Whew! Dainty AND a strong grip!"

"Hmmph," Sharon harrumphed, folding her arms. "Who does she think she is, dressing like that? This isn't a Las Vegas street corner."

"Well..." Bass snickered, puffing out his chest and grinning cruelly. "At least now we have a chick around here who knows how to ACT like a chick."

Sharon fumed. "WHAT does that mean?!" she snarled. "You want a chick? Fine! I'll peck your eyes out myself!"

"So, we're not the newbies anymore?" Mega Man asked. "Wow, that was fast."

"Oh, don't get too upset," Darren chuckled. "We still like you guys, too."

"That's good..." Roll admitted. "...She seems nice, but... I dunno... How does she stay upright? I fell over and I'm only a-"

"Errr..." Darren gulped. "Might wanna worry about that where nobody else can hear you, Roll."

"This is great," X said with a smile. "Seems like we're always making new friends, eh, Zero?"

Zero said nothing. He just stood there with his arms folded and a concerned glare on his face. X decided not to say anything else.

Golgi sauntered over to Iris and Smith. "So... you're Iris Thorne, hmm?" she asked of the up-and-coming Hunter.

"Yes, I am," Iris replied, shaking Golgi's hand.

Golgi smiled warmly. "I hear that you're the one we have to thank for stopping all these Maverick outbreaks," she said. "I wonder what's making them reappear now?..."

Iris nodded. "Yeah, we've been wondering that ourselves... I'm sure we'll find out sooner or later."

Golgi shrugged slowly. "Well... You've done very well for yourself, regardless," she continued. "Look at you; Just a month ago you were revived, and already you've become such a strong Hunter... and you've made such wonderful friends, too."

Iris blushed and chuckled. "Oh... Thank you," was all she could manage; she had never been very good at responding to compliments.

Golgi looked at Smith and gave him another of her smiles. "...And you're the one who revived all of these wonderful Reploids, aren't you, professor? You must be very smart to accomplish that."

Smith chuckled. "Well, that is to say... yeah," he mumbled bashfully. "I can't take ALL the credit, though... Charles and Wallace helped a lot."

Golgi gave an impressed sigh. "So modest, too..." she said. "I think I'll enjoy working here. Well, I had better go check in with Peabody and get a work schedule... I'll see you later." She winked at him before turning around and walking out of the room.

"She's really friendly, isn't she, professor?" Iris asked, turning around to face Smith.

Smith's face was light pink, and his lenses were enveloped in a thin layer of steam. "Uh... Are you OK, professor?" Iris asked.

"Oh!" Smith exclaimed, shaking out of his stupor and pulling off his glasses. "Yeah... I-I'm fine, Iris," he stammered, wiping them on his labcoat. "It's just... Is it hot in here?..."

Iris giggled at the sight of him, but then grew serious again. "So... Have you...?" she asked.

Knowing that she was asking about Colonel's new body, Smith sighed and shook his head; he had exhausted his knowledge of Reploid construction, and there seemed to be nothing he could do. "Well, Iris," he said. "It's... " He trailed off into silence, his face becoming a secretive mask.

He looked at Iris again and saw her pleading eyes, and his resolve to tell her the hard truth melted. "...It's not quite finished... I'll keep working on it tonight," he finished, sticking his hands in his pockets and sighing.

Iris beamed happily. "Thanks, professor," she replied. "Oh... I guess we had better get back to work."

Smith glanced down at his wristwatch. "Oh, yeah!" he replied. "You'd better hurry up to the omnitheater; the 4:00 showing of the Krakatoa Volcano documentary won't start without you!"

Iris nodded and ran out of the room, Smith watching her go. A depressed sigh escaped him. "I wish I could fix him for you, Iris," he said quietly, "but... I just don't know what else to do..."

* * *

The day went on as it usually did, and finally the clock struck 10:00. Exhausted, most of the staff got into their cars and drove home. Iris, Darren, Mega Man, Bass, Roll, X and Zero hopped on the bus and rode back to Noonvale Apartments. Sharon had to work the graveyard guard shift that night, and Snake Man was helping Professor Krein with an exhibit, so they stayed behind. As much as they knew, they were the only people in the building.

Nobody had noticed that Smith's car was still in the parking garage. He hadn't left; he was still down in his lab, slaving away on another body for Iris's brother. Exhausted sweat ran down his face as he finished his latest version and placed it in the repaired capsule. "There..." he panted, talking to no one in particular. "Maybe this time..."

He sealed the capsule and turned to the computer, quickly typing in several lines of code. "All right... Are you ready to try again?..." he asked the screen. It gave no reply, but then, he wasn't expecting one.

Without hesitation, he reached up and pressed the final button. The computer buzzed and beeped, and bubbles danced around the figure inside the capsule. A bar appeared on the monitor, representing the amount of Colonel's data that had been transferred into the body. It rose slowly, at first, but soon reached the ten percent marker and picked up speed. Smith watched anxiously as it climbed to twenty, then thirty, then fourty...

"Fifty... Sixty... Sixty-five..." he mouthed as the bar grew, his voice wavering with excitement and his entire body trembling. "It's going to work... It's going to work!... It's going to work!!!"

Suddenly, the computer screen flashed red as an error message appeared. Instantly Smith's smile melted into horror. "No... No!..." he panted as he watched the upload freeze at seventy percent completion, and the whole computer shut down. The capsule shook violently, then cracked in several places, the fluids inside spilling onto the floor.

He let out an angry yell, furiously kicking the machine again and again. "Stupid, stupid, STUPID!!!" he cursed. He quickly ran out of energy and sank back against it, gasping for air. His eyes were wild with frustration behind his steamed glasses, and his eyebrows bobbed up and down in rage.

He looked up at the limp figure in the capsule before him and glared. "Why..." he said. "Why won't you work?!"

He stood up and advanced on the figure, his fists clenched. "I looked over your design schematics... I studied every inch of you... I built an interface for your CPU with my own two hands... and you still won't work?!" He let out a high-pitched, frustrated whine and lay his hand on the glass. "Iris is going to be..." he mumbled. "...Why won't you work?..."

"It's quite simple, really."

Smith almost went through the roof at the voice. He whipped around to see the graciously endowed Dr. Golgi standing in the doorway, wearing the same attractive smile she always wore. "Dr. Golgi!" he exclaimed. "What are you still doing here?!"

"I saw that my partner's car was still in the garage, so I decided to see just what he was up to," she replied, walking closer and glancing at the capsule. "So... this is what you've been working on... You don't have much respect for the rules, do you...?"

Smith didn't know what to say. Golgi knew that he was building Reploids! Creating them without legal authorization was a serious offense. Would she go to Peabody with the information and get him fired? That was just the tip of the iceberg! Making Reploids like this could land him with heavy fines, or even put him in jail! He shuddered at what fate awaited him.

Golgi noticed his panic and put a soft hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Smith..." she said in a low, comforting voice. "I won't tell... In fact... I kind of like it."

Smith's worrying paused. He glanced nervously at Golgi. "...What?" he asked.

Her smile became even more irresistible. "I've always been drawn to people who are brilliant, but have just enough disregard for authority to do their own thing," she said. "If it's a man, it's even better..." She clicked her tongue.

Smith stiffened at the sound. Was Golgi doing what he thought she was doing? He suddenly felt awkward and embarrassed. He'd never had anyone as attractive as her come on to him like this, and he didn't really know how to respond. "Well, uh..." he started.

Golgi's attention had turned to the capsule. "This body you're making..." she said. "Humanoid, obviously... This is the Colonel of the Repliforce from the Maverick Wars, isn't it?"

Smith blinked. "You... You know about Repliforce?" he asked. "...Yeah... Yeah, that's him..."

Golgi nodded slowly, running her fingers gingerly over the broken glass, amazingly enough not suffering one scratch. "I'm impressed. It looks just like him... That squarish jaw, those prominent muscles, the stern eyebrows..."

Smith was starting to relax a bit. Though he often got flustered around girls, he could handle it when he was just talking shop. "Oh... Yeah," he replied. "I sifted through the databases and got a blueprint of what he looked like, so..."

Golgi smiled again. "Still, there's a problem, isn't there?..." she asked. "Colonel's data won't upload into it entirely."

Smith frowned and looked away. "...Yeah," he replied. "I still don't know why the body won't accept the data."

Golgi walked over close to Smith. "Quite simple, really," she repeated. "This body doesn't have the right DNA data."

Smith hesitated, poring over what she had said. It was true that Reploids were robots, but they had evolved so much that they were their own individuals in every sense of the word; they each had their own moods, tastes and skills. The body that Smith had manufactured for Colonel contained a simple DNA strand without many features, while Colonel's program undoubtedly required dozens of special enhancements to set him apart from his Repliforce grunts. Perhaps Golgi had a point; perhaps the reason for the failures was the mismatched DNA. "Yes... Yes, maybe..." he replied after a while.

"So..." Golgi reasoned. "If you had some of Colonel's DNA, you would be able to build a body that his program would interface with."

"Yeah, yeah!" Smith said, becoming excited. "If I had Colonel's DNA, I could..." His voice stopped in mid-sentence. He had forgotten two very important details. Firstly, Colonel's body had been destroyed; Iris had been forced to wreck it during their first adventure, when Ribosome had inserted Vile's program into it by unknown means. Secondly, The resurrection of Reploids through using their DNA was illegal, and had been for hundreds of years; with an extremely high fine and fifty years of hard prison time, only maniacs such as Sigma would disobey that law (and he had several times). What was left of his exhuberance escaped him in a depressed sigh. "We don't have any of that..." was all he managed.

Golgi's glasses flickered. "Professor... remember when I offered to help?..." she said, her voice becoming even silkier.

Smith looked up, puzzled. "What... What do you mean?" he asked.

Golgi suggestively reached into her labcoat's chest pocket and produced a small metal chip with a green cross imprinted on it. "I just so happen to have a sample," she answered.

"What?!" Smith exclaimed, running to her and taking the chip. In the center of the cross was a tiny, yellow R, the symbol for Repliforce. It looked exceedingly like the DNA chips that he had seen when he had reassembled Iris, and when he had worked on Zero. "This... Colonel's DNA?!" he asked.

"Yes," Golgi replied with a nod. "This should give you what you need."

Smith looked between the chip and Golgi. "But where did you get it?" he asked. "Colonel's original body was destroyed..."

"Oh, that isn't from his body, per se," she replied. "During one of my old job's excavations, I found a hidden Repliforce database, where they stored the DNA of all of their soldiers for medical records... Colonel happened to have a sample in it as well." She gave a throaty chuckle. "Use that, and you can make a perfect body for him," she added.

Smith stared at the chip for a while longer. She was right; with this chip, he could make a new body that would accept Colonel's program... but then he would be using DNA resurrection. The last thing Smith wanted to be was a criminal. Reluctantly, he handed the chip back to Golgi. "...I'm sorry, doctor, but I can't do that," he said.

Golgi blinked a few times, obviously startled. "What? Why not?" she asked.

"DNA resurrection is illegal," Smith replied, turning and looking at the defective body. "Even if that did create a useable body... if the authorities ever found out, we'd..." He paused and shook his head. "...I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Ah..." Golgi replied with a satisfied-sounding sigh. "You don't want to hurt anyone... That's very sweet of you."

Smith blushed. "Well..." he started.

"But you're hurting someone anyway, aren't you?..." she asked, cutting him off. "Didn't you promise that wonderful, brave Maverick Hunter that you would give her back her brother?"

Smith stiffened. Golgi had him there; he HAD promised Iris that he would give Colonel a body. Up until now, every time he had tried, he had failed miserably, and that detail had prodded at his conscience. Now Golgi held the only useful tool, and it was practically taboo. Standing so close to his goal, that pang of guilt now seemed to jab at him even harder, like a hot screw boring into the back of his neck.

"I can understand why you're hesitating; a terrible crime, DNA resurrection..." Golgi went on, looking at the chip and giving a concerned frown. "Iris will be disappointed, at first... but in time perhaps she'll understand why you didn't want to do it."

Smith's jaw locked. Iris wouldn't just be disappointed, if he knew her as well as he thought he did. His mind raced back to the account of the Repliforce affair, when she had nearly destroyed Zero for killing her brother. Would she launch the same sort of campaign against him for denying Colonel's return? More importantly, he had made a promise to her, and now he was going to break it; she might never trust him again. If there was one thing that Smith couldn't stand the thought of, it was losing someone's trust, especially someone as important to him as her.

"Well, if that's really how you feel..." Golgi finished, beginning to slip the chip back into her pocket.

"No, wait!" Smith replied suddenly, making Golgi freeze. He took a deep gulp, as if swallowing his pride, and held out his hand. "I... I changed my mind..." he said. "I'll... I'll take it."

Golgi blinked a few times, then smiled warmly. "All right," she said, pulling the chip out and placing it back in his palm. "I'm sure Iris will be very happy!"

Smith stared hard at the chip. "...I hope so..." he replied.

"I'll help you, then," Golgi replied, moving closer to him and laying a soft hand on his shoulder. "We just have to clean everything up when we're done... If there's no evidence of DNA resurrection, we're safe. After that, we just need a believable story to explain Colonel's presence... It's not as hard as it sounds. Well, shall we get started?"

Her rich, chocolate-brown hair smelled of strawberries and cream. Smith's stomach had tied itself in knots over the chip dilemma, but now it was being put at ease by the scent and her proximity, as well as the thoughts of how happy Iris would be. "All right..." he said, holding the chip up. "...Let's get started, 'partner.'"

Golgi smiled.

* * *

The next afternoon, Iris, Zero, Darren and Sharon were enjoying a late lunch of bagels and chocolate milk in the museum cafe. "Hmm..." Darren mumbled cheerfully as he munched the food. "Nothing like a sesame seed bagel to keep your energy up!"

"I'd enjoy this more if I didn't have to wear my armor all day," Zero grumbled. "Why is that?"

"Peabody thinks it'll bring in more revenue if people can recognize the famous Maverick Hunters," Iris replied, sipping her carton. "I mean, it's not like people wouldn't recognize us if we wore what the other employees do."

"I don't mind," Sharon chuckled. "It tells folks that I'm always ready if they decide to start something!" She took a vicious chomp out of her bagel for emphasis. As she swallowed, she frowned. "Besides, at least we're more modest than that Golgi woman..."

"I suppose..." Darren answered. "She does dress provocatively, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, but I think she's nice," Iris spoke up. "She was very friendly at the meeting."

Zero frowned and chewed his bagel. "I don't like it," he said quietly.

Darren looked at Zero. "You 'don't like it?'" he asked. "You don't like what?"

Zero started to reply, but glanced at Iris and decided against it. "...Never mind," he said. "It's probably nothing."

There was an awkward silence. "...Man, without the prof, things are dead here," Sharon remarked.

Iris sighed and nodded. Usually Professor Smith joined them for lunch, and he always kept them entertained with stories of what he had done that day, or an anecdote about one of Peabody's less-than-stellar moments, or his musings on life in general. Today, though, like so often lately, he was nowhere to be seen. Iris figured that he was still hard at work on Colonel's new body, but she still missed his company.

"(He's been down there for a long time...)" she thought as she stared at what remained of her bagel, imagining just what the professor could be doing. "(I wonder if I asked too much of him?...)"

* * *

Golgi's smile persisted as she stared through the bubbles. The new body looked just like the others that Smith had made: powerful and chiseled-looking. The big difference was that this body was perfect; it had been made from DNA that its host could actually interface with. "Ooh..." she purred, touching the cool glass. "He's perfect... You're an artist, Ross."

"Oh, I can't take all the credit," Smith replied as he looked over the readouts on his screen. "You did plenty of work yourself... Thanks for growing the organs."

"You flatter me," Golgi said, pushing her hair back and leaning closer to him. "Organs are essentials. You're the one who sculpted the handsome package that they're in."

Smith chuckled embarrassedly, then glanced back at his screen. "It looks like the body's ready to receive its host..." he said.

"Splendid," Golgi said, turning to him. "Well, let's put him in..."

Smith hesitated. "...Hold on a moment," he said, hitting some buttons. "I want to talk with him first."

Golgi looked puzzled. "Talk with him?" she asked. "Why?"

"You know, just make sure he's ready," Smith replied. "Getting a new body is a big change after a hundred years of dormancy, I would imagine..." He sighed. "Maybe he won't even want it at all."

"Ah, but we put so much work into it," Golgi mused, leaning over his shoulder. "We'll have to make sure he doesn't decline."

Smith pushed the last button and the cold eyes appeared on the screen. "Yes...?" Colonel's deep voice asked. "...Oh, professor, it's you..."

"Hi, Colonel," Smith replied. "How're you doing?"

"Decently, I suppose..." Colonel replied. "But then, I suppose it's difficult to do anything but that when you exist only inside a computer..."

Smith grinned. "Well, we hope we can remedy that," he said, stepping aside so the body was visible.

The gray triangles turned to bright white diamonds. "...A body... for me?" Colonel asked, obviously surprised.

"Yes," Golgi replied, smiling at the screen. "It's exactly like your old one; all the strength, all the mobility..."

There was silence for a moment, then Colonel sighed. "What a strange feeling it is, staring at your body from across the room... Amazing, and yet, disturbing..." He paused, then the eyes focused on the woman. "...Who is this?"

"Oh, sorry," Smith apologized. "This is Dr. Golgi. She helped me make it for you."

"With this body, you can be free of that terminal," Golgi went on. "So... Want to start the transfer?"

Colonel hesitated. "It is a wonderful surprise to see that the professor kept his promise... but..." he sighed. "When I was in the Repliforce, I did some things that I was not proud of... Perhaps being confined to this state is my punishment." He paused before continuing. "Why would I deserve a second chance?"

"Come on, now," Golgi said sexily. "A big, strong military man like you, not earning this? Don't you want to move and breathe and eat again? Hear the ocean, walk in the sand, feel cool grass beneath the soles of your feet..." She hesitated, saving the best punch for last. "...Don't you want to be with your sister? To be close to her... to protect her?"

The screen was silent. Golgi leaned in closer. "Colonel..." she said in a whisper. "...You deserve this body."

The eyes flickered thoughtfully. "...Very well," he finally said. "Begin the transfer."

Smith breathed a sigh of relief; now if this worked, he wouldn't have to break his promise to Iris. "Great," he said. "Let's get started! Golgi, you work the keys here, I'll get the capsule ready."

Smith ran over to the capsule and turned a few instruments, then signaled to Golgi. "Don't worry, Colonel," she said to the screen. "This is a very safe procedure."

"Save your breath," Colonel muttered, the eyes growing dim. "I am not afraid."

Golgi's smile did not fade despite his bitterness. "This may sting a bit," she said, pushing the starting button.

Electricity crackled and bubbles frothed inside the capsule. The eyes twitched and distorted, the sound of Colonel grunting in pain bursting through the speakers. The eyes vanished, and red warning lights flashed across the screen, various problem readouts appearing everywhere. Inside the capsule, Colonel's body twitched and writhed, like a man stepping on a live electrical wire.

Smith stared at the monitor and his eyes widened in horror. "Transfer's frozen at seventy percent again?!... The body's rejecting it?!" he yelled. "But... But... We did everything right!!!" In a blind panic, he hit several buttons to try and stop the process. As many times as he tried, though, he couldn't abort it. Colonel's data was stuck between the body and oblivion.

Golgi remained eerily calm. Once again, her gentle hand found its way onto his shoulder. "...Wait for it," she said quietly.

Smith whirled around and saw the body rattling against the glass like a frantic bird. His stomach felt queasy; it was painful to watch. In mere moments, that body would explode just like the rest of them, and Colonel's program would be gone forever. He gritted his teeth and hung his head; Iris would be heartbroken. He could almost feel the aura of failure and shame raining down on him.

Suddenly, the body stopped moving, and the warning lights ceased. The blaring alert signal was replaced with the computer's usual, gentle hum. Slowly, he looked up and over at the screen, where there were no error readouts whatsoever. "...Wha... What?..." he asked.

"It was just a momentary setback," Golgi explained smoothly. "The DNA compensated and pulled the program through."

Smith's heart leaped. "You... You mean..." he started.

The scientists turned around and looked at the figure in the capsule. His left hand twitched, then slowly became a fist. It opened and closed several times, like a crab's claw.

Smith gawked at the sight. Golgi smiled and moved closer to him. "Hmmm... Quite a lively one, this one..." she said.

As they watched, Colonel's eyes wavered, then opened. Smith felt a pang of triumph as they fixed on him through the glass.

"We... We did it..." he whispered, his mouth forming a relieved smile. "Iris... We did it..."

* * *

The whole museum reverberated with the gongs as the giant clock in the sound exhibit struck nine times. Iris sighed with relief as she peeled off her beret and wiped her face with it. Operating the omnitheater didn't take very much energy, but it did get unbearably hot in her cramped little compartment.

"Whew..." she sighed. "Nine o'clock already... I wonder what I should have for a snack, or maybe I'll just go to bed?..."

Iris headed down a flight of steps to the main entrance and had just grabbed her coat when Smith's voice came over the PA. "Attention, all Maverick Hunter staff... Please report to my laboratory right away," he said. His voice sounded tired.

"Huh..." Iris said as she replaced her coat. "I wonder what this is about..." She paused and sighed sadly. "Maybe he's finally given up..."

Iris walked through the hall and down more steps into the laboratory area. When she reached Smith's lab, she was very surprised; all of the other Hunters were there already. "Oh... I must have been walking slower than I thought," she said to herself.

Darren turned around and smiled. "Hey, Iris!" he said. "Everyone's been waiting for you!"

"What?" Iris asked, looking puzzled. "For me?"

"Smith said ALL Maverick Hunters..." X chuckled. "I guess he meant it."

Iris walked a bit closer and stood next to Zero. "Has he said anything?" she asked.

"No," Zero replied. "I'm as in the dark about this as you."

Iris hesitated, but nodded.

"Well, he'd better be quick," Bass grumbled, folding his arms. "Those latrines ain't gonna clean themselves."

Roll stifled a yawn. "I agree..." she complained. "I'm tired; I want to go home."

"Well, you don't really have a home yet," Sharon pointed out with a wry chuckle. "You're crashing at our place. And if you're going to share the bed again, you'd better get that drooling taken care of!"

Roll frowned. "Hey, come on! This is my first week as a Reploid! You expect me to figure everything out right away?"

"I'm sure glad you understood the bathroom details right away..." Snake Man remarked.

Roll started to object when Smith's door opened. He emerged looking haggard and drawn, and the smell that came with him could have stunned a yak. "Hi, guys," he said.

"Hello, professor," X replied. "Is this where you've been all this time?"

Sharon got a whiff and almost gagged. "Whoo! Sure seems like it!" she remarked.

"Yeah, I know..." Smith replied. "I'm gonna take a shower as soon as I get home."

"You've been in there for the past two days?!" Mega Man asked. "What were you doing?"

From behind Smith stepped Golgi, still looking as clean and radiant as she always did. "Hello, everyone," she said in her seductive way.

Instantly Zero frowned. An awkward silence spread over the rest of them.

"Uh..." Darren managed, tugging at his shirt collar; the situation didn't exactly look G-Rated. "What..."

Golgi pushed her hair back again. "Relax, friends," she said. "I've only been helping the professor on a project... one which took two days to finish, unfortunately."

"Uhm, yes," Smith added, coughing a bit. "I... wanted to say something, but I think the work can speak for itself..." He looked around, saw Iris and smiled. "Iris, would you come forward, please?" he asked.

Iris hesitated. She didn't like the smell any more than anyone else, but knowing what Smith had been up to had her interest piqued. She gently nudged her way through her friends to the scientists.

"OK..." Smith said, moving away from the door. Golgi slipped into the crowd as well. "You can come out now," he finished.

From inside the darkened room, footsteps could be heard coming towards the door. Nobody else had a clue of what was going on, but Iris waited with baited breath. Her fists were clenched, her jaw was locked and her eyes were focused with laser-like precision on the entrance. Was it? Could it be?...

A large man stepped out of the door. He was tall and buff, his rippling muscles visible beneath the thin sub-armor that he wore. A small goatee sprouted from his square chin, and a short mop of hair fell all around his wide, solemn eyes. He paused and slowly looked around, taking in all the stunned faces. Finally his gaze fell on Iris, and his mouth wrenched into a smile. "...Iris," he said.

Iris's whole body shook uncontrollably. "B... Bro..." she stammered stupidly. Finally, her eyes spilled over with happy tears and rushed him. "BROTHER!!!" she cried as she threw herself on him, getting her arms as far around him as she could.

Colonel placed his huge hand on Iris's head. "It's good to see you again, Iris," he said, stroking her hair tenderly.

The rest of the Hunters didn't know what to make of it. "Woah..." Sharon gulped. "I knew Iris had a brother, but..."

"Boy, does she have a brother," Roll finished, her face turning red.

"The Colonel?" X asked Smith, a surprised look on his face. "You brought back the Colonel of Repliforce?"

"Yeah," Smith replied, "and it wasn't a picnic, either..."

"No matter how difficult it was, look at it," Golgi pointed out, motioning to the happy spectacle. "I'd say it was worth it..."

"This is great!" Darren laughed. "Iris's brother is here! Things are really shaping up now!"

Zero said nothing; he simply kept frowning.

Colonel glanced up and looked around. "I was worried that you were in a lonely place, working at this museum..." he said, "but it looks like you have several associates."

"Oh, right!" Iris said cheerfully, trying to calm herself down. Taking Colonel by the arm, she introduced him to each person, who responded with a wave, a handshake or a "hello."

"...And this is Zero," Iris said, motioning to the grumpy-looking Hunter, "...but I'm sure you already knew that, didn't you?" She chuckled happily.

Colonel gained a small frown of concern. "...Yes," he replied.

Zero looked up at him. "...Good to see you again, Colonel," he said, not losing his look.

Iris sensed a bit of tension between the two swordsmen, and, not wanting to start anything, she quickly moved her brother on to the last person. "This is X," she said, stopping at the blue Reploid. "He's a really good friend, too!"

Colonel's frown faded and was replaced with a welcoming smile. "Ah, the famous Mega Man X," he said, extending his hand. "It is an honor to finally meet you, even after so long."

X had seemed to pale a little when Colonel had emerged from the lab, and it hadn't left his face. He silently gulped and took the huge hand. "Yeah..." he muttered. "Likewise."

"So, that's everyone!" Iris finished. "We all work here in the museum."

"The museum..." Colonel repeated, looking around. "I have gone through all of its mainframes and databases, but I have never seen it as it really is..." he glanced at his sister. "Would you show me around?" he asked.

Iris beamed. "Of course! Follow me. It's after closing hours, and nobody's around, so I'll give you the grand tour!"

Iris led Colonel up the stairs and out of sight. "Hey, that's my job!" Mega Man shouted, running after them.

"Don't knock anything over!" Bass yelled, charging off with a mop. "There's enough for me to clean already!"

"Heh heh heh... Well, that was certainly a surprise," Darren admitted. "I've got to hand it to you, professor, you work miracles."

"Well..." Sharon mumbled, allowing a yawn to escape her mouth, "I think any more can wait until tomorrow. I'm going home; I've been here since dawn yesterday!"

The others agreed with Sharon and filed out towards the bus stops or parking lots. Only Zero, Golgi and Smith were left in the hall.

"Well... Thank goodness," Smith sighed. "I'm glad I could do it."

Zero glanced at him, still frowning. "I know you promised her, professor... but no offense, but I didn't think you could."

Smith chuckled. "Yeah... Well, if it weren't for Golgi, I would have been in trouble," he admitted.

Zero was quiet for a moment before he leaned in a bit closer. "Still..." he went on. "Are you sure this is such a good idea?"

Smith looked at him oddly. "A good idea?" he asked. "Of course! Why not?"

Zero sighed and shook his head. "Nobody knows the Colonel quite like I do," he said, looking up at the ceiling. "He's... well, let's just say he's accustomed to greater things. I don't know if he'll adjust to this situation..."

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be fine," Smith replied. "Iris'll get him situated nicely. You've gotta have a little more faith in people, Zero."

As they conversed a bit more, Golgi just stood there, listening quietly with a smile on her face.

* * *

The next morning, Iris, X, Zero, Darren, Sharon, Mega Man, Roll, Bass and Colonel were sitting in the cafeteria eating breakfast. Breakfast, oddly enough, was about the same as dinner: a bagel and chocolate milk. The only big difference was the inclusion of fresh orange slices.

"I swear, they have to find some better menu items," Sharon grumbled, chewing the bagel. "Maybe some of those little boxes of cereal they send in the mail..."

"It's all about budget," Darren sighed. "Peabody wants to keep as much of it as possible going into his pockets."

"It is not so bad," Colonel replied, chewing the food thoughtfully. "Quite nourishing for my first meal in a hundred years..."

"Yeah, so, how was your first night, Colonel?" Roll asked cheerfully.

"It went fairly well, thank you," Colonel answered. "Iris showed me the museum and its exhibits, then we travelled to her living space and went to bed."

"It was very nice," Iris agreed.

"Yeah..." Darren muttered, "until you let him crash in my room."

Bass snickered. "Roomie trouble?" he asked. "What, is he a snorer, or one of those 'leaky faucet' types?"

Sharon clunked him in the head. "Be nice!" she snapped. "He's sitting right across from you!"

Colonel's smile faded a little, but he shook it off. "I don't mean to burden you for long," he said to Darren. "I shall be seeking my own lodgings shortly..." He glanced down at the shirt and jeans that Darren had loaned him; if Darren had taken off his ball cap, they would have been a matched set. "...Perhaps I can find a good tailor, as well," he added.

"Don't worry," Iris said with a smile. "Professor Smith said he'd ask Professor Olson to make you some clothes just like you used to wear."

"That's a relief," Colonel replied. "I cannot work in a museum dressed in these."

Darren gave a surprised look.

"So, Iris," he went on. "What kind of work do you do here, anyway?"

"Me?" Iris asked. "Oh, I run the omintheater shows."

"She does it really well," Mega Man complimented. "Everyone always tells her that!"

Colonel paused. "How much do they pay her?" he asked.

There was an awkward silence. "...Pay?" Mega Man asked.

"The amount you are paid represents how important the job is," Colonel explained. "It's also a symbol of your status. How much are you paid, Mega Man?"

Mega Man thought hard. "Hmm... I haven't really gotten my first check yet," he admitted, "but I think the manager said I would be getting about seven dollars an hour."

"Seven dollars per hour for a tour guide?" Colonel repeated. "...That sounds a bit much."

Mega Man frowned. "Uh... OK... I'll, uh... I'll remember that," he muttered, and went back to eating.

"Professor Smith said that there was some Maverick activity as of late," Colonel went on. "What do you do then?"

Iris stiffened. Colonel had always believed that Iris should behave like a proper lady of noble birth; he had been adamantly opposed to her joining the Maverick Hunters back in 21XX, and she doubted that he had changed. If Colonel knew that she was fighting the Mavericks alongside X and Zero and the rest, he would throw a conniption. She loved her brother more than anything, but she also loved being able to protect what she cared about. "Me? Oh... I just stay here and monitor X and Zero's progress," she lied. "They need lots of help; these new guys are tough!"

"Huh?" X asked. "But Iris, you-"

Zero put his hand on X's shoulder and quietly shook his head. X caught the signal and quieted.

"Ah... I see. Well, I'm sure I'll be able to lend a hand in those affair myself," Colonel said, finishing his milk and standing up. "Oh. If you'll excuse me, I have to go and meet Mr. Peabody for my employment interview. I hope I can get the job, considering..." He looked at the clothing again.

"Good luck!" Iris called as he left, still wearing her happy smile. This was great; Zero, her brother and her friends were back in her life. She felt happier than she ever had. Everything was perfect.

"Whew!" Sharon harrumphed, crossly folding her arms. "That guy..."

Iris stopped smiling and looked at her. "Huh?" she asked.

"Err..." Sharon hesitated, then smiled sincerely. "Yeah, you were right, Iris. That guy sure has a strong personality!"

"Oh," Iris replied, nodding in understanding. "OK. Oh! The time! I have to get to the omnitheater! See you all later." She swallowed the rest of her bagel and left.

As soon as she was gone, Bass glared at his breakfast. "For crap's sake..." he grumbled. "That's our new guy? Full of charm, ain't he?"

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Darren asked, tugging at his own. "I like my clothes."

"Ooh..." Mega Man gulped uncomfortably. "Do I have to ask them to lower my wage? How do I do that?"

* * *

Colonel had little to worry about; Peabody gave him the job immediately. "It will be very good to have you working here," he had said to himself with a bit of a sneer. "Finally we'll have someone with decent taste."

Colonel was assigned to be a security officer for the museum's main entrance, where he worked alongside Sharon. Sharon was leaning against the wall, lost in grumpy thought when he appeared. "I am to patrol this area with you, miss Doherty," he reported.

Sharon looked up. Instead of the sloppy clothes he had been wearing at breakfast, Colonel was all decked out in the white, bulky armor that he had worn in his Repliforce days, complete with a black military cap upon his head. He also had a long, dangerous-looking heat sword, a saber that used intense heat instead of a sword-shaped beam like Zero's for combat, which he rested on the floor like a rich man's staff. In her mind, Sharon groaned; she had not liked his way of talking down to them, and now he was going to be working with her on a regular basis... dressed like a decorated soldier, no less. "(What a way to put the rest of us down,)" she thought crossly. Still, she smiled and nodded. "All right, Colonel. Well, we just stand here and watch the door. If any troublemakers come in, we show them out... gently."

"Very well," Colonel replied, standing near the other side of the door. "Are there many ruffians?"

"Ruffians?" Sharon asked, not looking at him and slightly amused by his antiquated speech. "Not too many... Some guys come in here dressed like punks, but they wouldn't hurt a-"

Sharon was interrupted by a loud yell and sounds of an angry struggle. She whirled around to see Colonel with his arms around a struggling teenage boy with nose piercings, a pink mohawk and a biker jacket. "Ah!" Colonel announced triumphantly. "My first catch of the day!"

"Hey, lemme go, jack!" the boy yelled. "I ain't done nothin'!"

Sharon's eyes widened and she grew angry. "Drop him, Colonel!!!" she ordered.

Colonel looked up. "What?" he asked.

"He's a regular!" Sharon explained. "He comes in every week to see the omnitheater matinee!"

Colonel hesitated, then released his grip. "...My apologies, sir," he said with a bow. "Please, carry on."

The boy muttered something and walked off. Colonel frowned and shook his head. "Well, that was uncalled for," he noted.

Sharon fumed. "What's 'uncalled for' is grabbing a guy like that!" she snapped. "What, were you going to break his spine?!"

"Well, with clothes and hair such as that, I was sure he was a ruffian," Colonel began.

"Just because they look like trouble doesn't mean they are!" she replied. "Look, I asked him what he was doing the first time he came in, and he did exactly what he said he was doing. It's that easy!" she paused and frowned. "You might be used to shooting first and asking questions later, but here it's just the opposite!"

Colonel frowned. He didn't appreciate Sharon's angry insolence, but she did have a point; guards were supposed to protect, not attack. "...I shall try to exercise more discretion in the future," he finished.

"Good," she replied. "Now, make yourself comfortable; we're going to be here until three."

* * *

The day went on with minimal trouble, as it usually did. Around 3:30, Iris and Zero finished their shifts and took a walk together in the butterfly exhibit. The red-brick path wove around a glass-domed room where the sun always seemed to shine, and waves of butterflies drifted lazily through hundreds of pastel-colored flowers. Iris loved this exhibit, and it had started to grow on Zero as well.

"Oh, this is nice..." Iris said as she knelt down and looked at a pretty, red tulip. "Hmm... This is the same color as you!" she laughed, pointing. "I never get tired of coming here."

"It's very relaxing, yes," Zero agreed, staring up at the roof. Outside the dome the chilly January winds blew, but inside it was as mild as a day in June.

"Everything seems to be perfect now," Iris said, watching the beautiful bugs drift around. "You're here, and all of my new friends, and my brother..."

That comment wrecked his enjoyment and brought Zero's troubles right back. He folded his arms and frowned again. "Your brother..." he repeated with a hint of suspicion.

Iris noticed the tone, stood up and looked at him. "What's wrong?" she asked. "He's your friend too..."

"Well, yes..." Zero said slowly, trying to find words for his edginess, but failing, "but... I don't know..."

Iris frowned. Zero and Colonel really had been friends, though she always knew that her brother didn't approve of her affection for the red Hunter. The Repliforce affair had pushed their friendship to the limit and broke it. The tension between them was the one thing that she hadn't thought about when she asked Smith to make him a new body, and the last thing she wanted was to see them fighting again. Zero's bitter behavior did little to alleviate her worry.

"Zero," she said crossly, hoping to stop any problems before they started. "I know you've had disagreements..."

Zero sighed. "That's one way of putting it," he remarked.

"Let me finish," she continued. "You have a chance to be friends again now! Wipe the slate clean! Forget about what happened!"

Zero raised an eyebrow. How can anyone forget the past? Sigma had used Repliforce to try and destroy humanity, and Zero had been forced to stop them. He was sure Colonel hadn't forgotten; why should he? Still, that was beside the point. Zero didn't suspect Colonel of anything; there was something else troubling him. Deep in his heart, he felt that something was wrong with the whole situation. He wanted to say something to Iris, but how could he? Anything bad he would say about Colonel would make her angry, and she would close of her ears to the rest.

Iris sighed. "Please, just try to get along with him," she pleaded. "It means a lot to me..."

Zero didn't like how Iris was blindly accepting the situation, but he also didn't want to make her upset. "...All right," he agreed. "I'll try."

Iris was about to thank him when they heard an extremely loud obscenity come from further down the path. "What was that?!" she asked.

"Sounded like Sharon," Zero sighed. "I wonder what it is this time..."

They walked up the path to a small gazebo-type structure, built for patrons to relax. It had a chessboard built into its center, at which were seated Sharon and Colonel. Sharon's jaws and fists were clenched as Colonel cleared the board.

"That's the third time!!!" she huffed. "Why can't I win?!"

"You get angry too quickly," Colonel explained bluntly as he set the board back up. "When you're angry, you lose focus and move your pieces around without thought, and you attack without any strategy, like a child. That is why I take your best pieces and win in under ten minutes."

Sharon's snarl got even louder. "Oh, I'm a HOTHEAD, eh?!" she snapped. "I'll show you HOT!!!" She raised her pointer finger and a little flame popped out of the tip. She flicked at Colonel's king, which melted into a small, white mound. Without another word, she got up and stomped off.

Colonel looked at the mess for a moment. "...Have I said something?" he asked.

"Don't worry about it, brother," Iris said as Zero and she came closer. "Usually trying to explain why she lost just makes things worse."

Colonel got up and smiled at his sister, then noticed how close to her Zero was standing and gave a serious look.

"So..." Zero said, trying to ease the tension. "How's your first day going?"

"Well enough," Colonel replied. "I halted two troublemakers from entering the museum, and now I've defeated my partner thrice in a row."

"That's great," Iris said. "You sound like you're enjoying it here!"

Colonel hesitated. Zero was too close to Iris for his comfort. He liked the Hunter as a friend, but he felt that he was too rough and dangerous to pursue his sister romantically. He quickly walked over, took Iris by her hand and gently tugged her away.

Zero noticed the deliberate warning, but said nothing unpleasant. "Guard detail's kind of boring in the mornings, isn't it?" he asked instead.

"Quite," Colonel replied. "I'm anxious to try a night shift. Perhaps I will see more action, then. For now..." He motioned to his sister. "Come, Iris. I'd like to see the rest of the city. Would you show me around?"

"All right!" Iris agreed, taking his hand and leading him out. "See you later, Zero! We'll be back before dinner!"

Zero watched them leave the gardens, and then his neutral look became a worried frown. He had expected this cold kind of treatment concerning Iris, and how Colonel talked to his other friends was a bit troublesome, but something else still bothered him.

"...Be careful, Iris..." he said. "...This doesn't feel right..."

* * *

The sink was washed out, and it was done. Smith peeled off his rubber gloves and tossed them in the box of items that he would incinerate in the museum furnace. "Whew... That's it," he said.

He glanced around his lab. All traces of the DNA Resurrection had been removed; the organ jars had been washed sterile and taken to the recycling plant, the capsule had been smashed and melted down and every inch of the room had been cleaned with the strongest solvents available. There was no way anyone could have guess that it was a crime scene.

The door opened and Dr. Golgi stepped in, still wearing that alluring smile of hers. "The jars are gone," she reported. "All that's left is to throw that box in the furnace."

"Right..." Smith sighed. He still didn't like that he had broken the law, but seeing how happy Iris was had taken the sting out of it. Besides, it was looking less and less likely that he was going to get caught. "I'll get to that in a moment. Do we have a story?"

"Yes," Golgi replied, leaning over on his desk. "You had his body all along; you recovered it from the underground cave and simply repaired it."

Smith raised an eyebrow. "...That's it?" he asked.

Golgi shrugged. "Sometimes the best stories are the shortest ones," she replied. She paused and picked up a framed photograph on his desk, looked it over and then put it back face-down.

"Well, I suppose..." Smith admitted, bending down and grabbing the box. "To the furnace!"

Since the heating area of the museum was on the same floor as the labs, the scientists didn't have far to go to reach the boiler room. They entered a small, warm room with a stone floor and brick walls. The furnace stood on the far wall, a massive machine with all sorts of buttons, monitors and pipes.

"Here we are," Smith said, walking up to the machine and hitting some buttons. A large hatch on the side opened, revealing a raging fire. Almost immediately the temperature went up. Smith knelt down at the hatch, took the items in the box and threw them in one by one.

"Good thinking, professor," Golgi complimented, stretching luxuriously. "The fire is so hot, nothing will be left of that stuff."

"Right..." Smith replied, continuing to throw things in. As each item burned up, he felt more and more relieved. There was little or no chance that the law could be thrown at him now, with no evidence.

Finally, the last object was in and he closed the hatch. "That's that," he sighed, folding the box up. "Now we'll just recycle this and everything will be fine. I'm not going to try that again, but I think we're in the clear."

Golgi chuckled softly. "Hmm, professor, you're so clever..." she said smoothly.

"Well, thank you," Smith replied.

Golgi advanced on him. "I think you deserve a reward," she said.

Smith paused. "What?" he asked. "What do you-"

Before he could finish, Golgi had him in a tight embrace with her tongue dancing around in his mouth, her whole body rubbing against him and her throat emitting pleasured moans. Her fingers pressed into his back and tugged at his clothes, seemingly trying to pull them off. She leaned even more into him and they toppled to the ground.

Smith had been stunned from the tongue, but he quickly regained his senses. He managed to get his hands on Golgi's shoulders and pushed her away. "WHAT are you doing?!" he yelled angrily.

Golgi was still smiling. "I thought we'd take this partnership a little further," she whispered, her hands reaching down and clutching at his belt loops. "Celebrate our success..." She leaned in and sucked his tongue again.

It would have been a lie to say that Smith didn't enjoy what she was doing, but he also knew that it was wrong. Not only was it against museum policy to engage in this during hours, but, as beautiful as she was, he just wasn't interested in her in that way.

Her movements were even more fluidic now, and her fingers had almost pried his pants off. He grabbed her shoulders and shoved again. "Get OFF me!" he yelled, practically knocking her onto the floor.

Golgi gave him a surprised look. "You didn't like it?" she asked.

"Look," Smith huffed, standing up and re-zipping his pants. "Dr. Golgi, I like working with you, but I'd prefer to keep things professional."

Golgi smiled again. "OK," she said. "Maybe we can wait until later, and go on back to my place... I have more skills in the-"

"No," Smith said sharply. "I don't want to do anything like that. If you hadn't helped me out just now, I'd report you."

Golgi's smile faded. "...I see," she said, getting up. "I didn't know you felt that way. I'm sorry."

Smith gave her a concerned look. "...Well, I guess it's OK..." he said. "...Just... Don't do that again. If you'll excuse me, I have to recycle this box..." He grabbed the cardboard and left quickly.

Golgi sighed, fixed her clothes and adjusted her glasses. "Oh, well..." she said, pulling out a small device and staring at it. "I gave you a chance to live..."

* * *

"So, this is the business district," Iris said as Colonel and she crossed a street and arrived at the always-bustling EcoLab Plaza. "Some of the most powerful companies in the region have their headquarters here."

Colonel looked around, his mouth locked in a neutral pose. So far, he didn't seem very impressed with St. Paul; Iris had shown him the natural beauty of Rice Park, the classical architecture of the Landmark Center and even the modern wonders locked in the renaissance-style building of the central library. He marvelled at none of them, and had barely said a word during the whole trip. At first Iris thought he was just cold (he had gone out in the middle of January without a jacket, after all), but now she was starting to worry. Her brother's opinions were very important to her.

"So, um..." she went on, glancing around. "Down that street are all the best restaurants in town. Would you like to get something?"

"...Do you like it here, Iris?" Colonel asked suddenly, looking down at her.

The question confused her. "What?... Well, yes. I like it very much," she answered after a pause.

"It doesn't seem very safe," Colonel went on. "I have only counted two police officers during our walk."

"There isn't much crime, really," Iris replied. "Besides, since the whole city knows that the Maverick Hunters are at the museum, most crooks won't try anything."

Colonel looked around at the people walking by, dressed in their big, puffy, awkward winter clothes. "It doesn't exactly seem very cultured, either," he noted.

"Well, it isn't Paris or New York," Iris agreed, "but the people are friendly and helpful. They'll give you directions even if you aren't wearing diamonds and speak perfectly."

"...And Mavericks?" Colonel asked, searching for another topic. "What do they do when those come?"

"Mavericks aren't really a problem anymore," Iris answered with a happy smile. "X and Zero were able to stop the virus that creates them..." She paused and frowned. "Well... Maybe not... At first I thought Ribosome was rebuilding them, like Professor Smith rebuilt me, but with Agile..." She trailed off, then shook her head. "I'm sure we can handle them!"

Colonel eyed her suspiciously. "'We?'" he asked.

Iris gulped. She had almost given away that she was a Hunter, too. "X and Zero, I mean," she replied quickly, "but we're all team members, right?"

Colonel frowned at the mention of Zero, but nodded in understanding. "Of course..." he said. "Well... Perhaps I am feeling a bit peckish... Why don't we find a good restaurant to sit down and-"

Suddenly, a loud explosion tore through a nearby building, throwing debris and smoke everywhere. Instantly the residents started screaming and fled the scene.

"What was that?!" Colonel asked, looking at the damaged building.

Iris frowned. "That's the biggest bank in town!" she exclaimed. "Come on!"

Iris dashed off towards the wreck, a surprised Colonel trailing after her, wondering why she was so interested in getting there. If she was a navigator, shouldn't she call for the Hunters? Perhaps she was simply observing the situation before calling, he thought. Still, in the spirit of caution, he drew his saber as they rounded the corner and ran into the building.

Iris made her way into the wreckage and looked around. All of the tellers and customers were huddled in one corner, nobody seemingly hurt. "Is everyone all right?" she asked.

"Yes!" a teller managed in a half-scream. "They... They're in the vault!... Four of 'em!..."

Iris breathed a sigh of relief and turned her attention to a huge hole in the wall, where more smoke was pouring out. Almost as soon as she had turned to it, three green-armored Reploids emerged carrying small, metal safe-deposit boxes. One looked up, saw Iris and stiffened. "Uh-oh," he said.

Iris instantly had her I-Buster out and aimed. "Maverick Hunter! Freeze!" she shouted.

The green robots dropped their boxes and put their hands in the air. Iris was about to smile in triumph when she noticed something wrong. There were three Reploids here. Didn't the teller say there were four?

"Well, well, well..." a harsh, raspy voice came from the hole. "I figured we'd run into you, little lady."

"Who's there?" Iris asked. "Come out!"

From out of the hole stepped a tall, Reploid deer wearing purple and red armor. His fists were ablaze, as were his antlers. On his face was a sinister grin, and his eyes sparked with fury. "Iris Thorne, eh?" he asked. "Name's Flame Stag. Nice to meet you."

Iris frowned and aimed at him. "I don't care what your name is," she warned. "Why are you doing this?!"

"Just doing what Agile asked," Flame Stag chuckled. "Happens that this bank's got some bio lab's whole collection of pathogens in its safety vault! Pretty crappy thinking, if you ask me... Still, d'you wanna know what Agile's up to?"

Iris was unmoved. "It doesn't matter," she said. "Put your hands up, and nobody has to get hurt!"

Flame Stag chuckled. "Heh... You're something else, aren't you? Are you sure you want to be pointing that at me?"

Iris raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" she asked.

Flame Stag grinned evilly and pointed behind her. As soon as he did, Colonel rushed into the building. "Iris, what's happening?!" he asked, his sword at the ready. He saw the crooks and Flame Stag, but then his eyes focused right on Iris's gun.

Instantly Iris felt sick to her stomach. "What are you doing with that?!" Colonel asked angrily.

"Oh, hello, there, Colonel," Flame Stag chuckled. "Your sister was just about to deal with us!"

The other Reploids laughed cruelly. Iris turned around and confronted her furious brother. "Brother... I can exp-" she started.

Colonel grabbed her roughly by the shoulder and pushed her towards the cowering prisoners. "Get back," he warned. "I'll handle this."

"Oh! So brave," Flame Stag laughed. "Always a soldier first, aren't you?"

Colonel lunged at the perps with a powerful battle cry. With only one slash, the three underlings were on the floor in segments.

Flame Stag laughed. "What, no mercy?" he asked.

Colonel readied his sword. "Criminals such as you deserve none," he growled.

"Ooh, so cruel!" the stag snickered. "No wonder people hated Repliforce!"

"Silence!" Colonel snapped, charging with his blade. Flame Stag leaped forward and met the sword with his knuckle, and the two fire attacks fizzled in deadlock. Colonel struggled to push the burning fist away, but Stag wouldn't budge. With a sharp yell, Stag brought his leg up and into Colonel's stomach, knocking him to the ground.

"Ha!" Flame Stag laughed, reaching down and grabbing the boxes. "You're a joke! Leave the fighting to the professionals, grampa!" His body glowed, and he was gone.

Iris picked herself up and ran to the wheezing Colonel. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"Ugh..." Colonel groaned. "I must be a little rusty." He paused, then frowned at her. "Why do you have that?" he asked, pointing to her I-Buster.

Iris gulped and looked at the gun. "I... It was for self-defense," she said quickly. "I might be a navigator, but I still have to be safe..."

Colonel sighed crossly and shook his head. "Well..." he muttered, getting to his feet. "As long as it's only for defense..."

"Hey!" Sharon's voice came from behind them. They turned around to see Sharon, X and Zero enter the bank. "Smith said there was a Maverick here! Are we late?"

"Hi, Sharon," Iris said with a sigh. "Yeah... Flame Stag was here, but he got away... Took a pathogen collection with him, too..."

"Pathogens?!" X gulped. "Oh, dear..."

Zero frowned. "Well, don't worry..." he said. "You did the best you could. We'll just have to find him and get it back."

Iris reddened at Zero's comment, feeling Colonel's suspicious eyes on her neck. "Me? Oh, no, not me," she replied, frantically pointing at Colonel. "My brother's the one who stopped it."

"Oh, I see," Sharon said. "Nice work, Colonel! Too bad he got away."

Colonel frowned. "He would not have escaped if I had come in sooner," he said. "Although I'm certain my skills made him decide to flee."

Sharon sighed, annoyed with his egotistical ramblings. "Right," she muttered.

X looked over the chopped-up lackeys and shook his head. "These guys are dressed just like the guys we saw at Dr. Light's," he observed. "They must be some of Agile's."

"Breaking into a bank, stealing germs..." Zero said with a frown. "What are they after?..."


	8. From Whence He Came

**CHAPTER 8**

**FROM WHENCE HE CAME**

Two weeks went by without much else occurring. The police took statements from the Hunters about the bank robbery, but nobody was able to learn anything else. The Department of Homeland Security issued an alert and put rewards up for finding Flame Stag, but as usual, couldn't locate the Maverick.

Things settled down at the museum as well. Colonel was able to get his own apartment at Noonvale (which Darren was grateful for) and was quickly promoted to the captain of the museum guards (which Sharon and Zero were very irritated by). His powerful personality and pompous attitude didn't fade; everyone just got used to it, though they still grumbled often. Iris noticed that many of her friends would quiet when Colonel came in, or leave the room altogether. The only people who would actually stay around when her brother was near were Darren, X and Zero, and even Zero seemed to be keeping his distance more. This started to bother her, and she wondered if maybe Colonel had something to do with it.

Every time there was a local crime, the Hunters rushed out to help, but Iris stayed behind, fearful of what Colonel would do if he learned that she was as good a fighter as the others. When they asked her to come along, she would just shake her head and wish them good luck. This seemed to be having as much of an effect on her as her brother. The other Hunters, especially Sharon, eventually just stopped asking if she would come. As hurtful as this was, she stood by her decision, not wanting to tarnish the gift that Professor Smith had given her.

One day after her shift ended at six o'clock, Iris retired to the staff lounge, where Zero was waiting for her. "Hello, Zero," she said as she sat down on the couch next to him.

"Hi," Zero returned. "I'm just waiting for my shift to start..."

Iris scratched her chin. "That isn't until 8:00, though," she pointed out. "Why are you here so early?"

"I always come in early," Zero replied. "I'm usually here all day. I just do other things until it's time to patrol." He paused and looked at her. "I don't usually come here, though. I wanted to ask you something..."

Iris blushed a little. He had been staying at arm's length a lot lately; what was he going to ask her? "...Yes?" she ventured.

Zero folded his arms. "Why haven't you been coming out with us when there's a crime?" he asked. "Everybody's been wondering..."

Iris hesitated. "Well..." she tried.

"Are you worried about something?" he asked. "You've been acting strange lately; like you have to think about everything you do. We're all starting to worry."

Iris coughed uncomfortably, thinking about the past few weeks; ever since Colonel had returned, she had seemed to become much more docile and delicate, almost like she had been during the Repliforce war. She frowned at this discovery; she liked her new friends and her new life, and realizing that she was slipping back into old habits was unsettling.

"Is it because of the Colonel?" Zero asked. "Is that why you're acting so..."

Iris sighed. "I suppose..." she admitted. "He's never wanted me to fight..."

"But you're good at it," Zero replied. "Your technique has been improving, and you're shaping up to be a great Hunter. You balance your tactics with mercy; that's not something everyone can do."

"I know..." Iris repeated. "But..."

Zero frowned and decided to take a different angle. "Why did you come to us in the first place?" he asked.

This question caught her off guard. "What?" she asked.

"Back then," Zero elaborated. "You decided to join the Maverick Hunters, even though Colonel didn't like it at all. Why was that?"

Iris leaned back on the couch and sighed. "I suppose..." she began, "...it was because I wanted to. I've always kind of defied my creator..."

Zero looked at her. "Your creator?" he asked.

"My creator was a British scientist named Dr. Thorne," she said. "He created my brother and me in the style of the old, chivalrous days of his country... Colonel was to be a proud and powerful knight, and I was to be a gentle, respectable lady. He was to join Repliforce and fight for peace, but I was supposed to stay at home, doing what 'proper' ladies did... Sipping tea, going to galas, that sort of thing...

"I never really liked that lifestyle. I got antsy sitting in one place, wearing those itchy, fancy dresses... then I saw what Colonel was doing in the Repliforce, and I wanted to do it too; not killing, so much, but putting his whole body and soul into protecting what he held dear. When I saw that, I realized that I wanted to do it, too...

"Unfortunately, Dr. Thorne was totally against it... and Colonel held him in high regard, so naturally he prohibited me from joining the force, too... but I pleaded and negotiated with him, and he got me a job as a navigator; someone who wouldn't see any action. He was satisfied with this, but Dr. Thorne was always furious after that..."

"You went against your creator's wishes..." Zero repeated slowly, a faint smile meeting his face. "If you didn't agree, it's... understandable. That's what being a Reploid is all about, after all."

Iris nodded slowly. "After some hard work, they let me transfer to the Maverick Hunters," she concluded. "That's when I met X and you... That's when Colonel started to watch me again..."

"Trust me, I know that part," Zero admitted grumpily.

Iris shook her head. "My brother would be absolutely horrified if he knew that I'm a Hunter," she said. "He always forbade me from combat."

There was an awkward silence. Zero hesitated, then inched closer and slowly put his arm across her back. Iris flinched and he started to withdraw it, but she reached up and touched his hand. "It's all right," she said.

Zero relaxed a bit and thought of what else he could say. "...Why don't you tell him?" he asked.

Iris looked at him. "Tell my brother?" she asked. "But..."

"You're your own person, right?" Zero continued. "You've proven that plenty of times... Just tell him the truth."

Iris hesitated, then bit her lower lip. "But if I do... I don't know what'll happen..." she said quietly. "I don't want to lose him again..."

Zero gave her a concerned look, something he rarely did. "Isn't lying to him about who you are even worse?" he asked.

Iris quieted, and just stared out the window at the falling snow. Zero didn't have to be anywhere, so he stayed with her, his arm over her soft shoulders.

* * *

Later that night, Zero, Sharon and Colonel convened in the entrance. The museum was closed and everyone else had gone home, but it was their turns to work the graveyard security shift.

"No chance of anyone getting hurt, now..." Zero remarked. "My favorite shift."

"I've gotta disagree," Sharon grumbled, looking around nervously. The shadows the streetlights created always resembled fierce, paranormal creatures to her, and made her remember the horror that Dr. Sushi had exposed her to. "It's too dark... and too quiet..." she mumbled.

Zero nodded slowly; his conversation with Iris earlier had left him in a slightly more sensitive mood. "I can patrol the darker areas tonight," he suggested.

Sharon sighed with relief, but Colonel harrumphed in disapproval. "Don't coddle her, Zero," he warned, looking at his two subordinates. "You say that every time you're assigned to this shift, Doherty. This museum has to be protected at all times. If you can't understand that, perhaps you should seek employment elsewhere."

"I understand that," Sharon began, "but..."

Colonel wasn't listening. "Now, Zero, you shall patrol the rooftop gardens. Doherty, you will take the basements... " he instructed, throwing an irritated glance at Sharon. "That way you can get started on growing that backbone."

That insult struck a nerve. Sharon glared at him like Medusa petrifying a victim. "Grow a BACKBONE?!" she snarled, her fists balling. "Listen, YOU!!! I don't know what century your brain's trapped in, but this ain't Repliforce, and we ain't your troops! Now, go play army man somewhere else!!!"

Colonel recoiled, visibly surprised by her insubordination; apparently, he had never been snapped at in such a way before. Quickly, though, his shock boiled into anger, and he towered over Sharon with a look to match hers.

"SILENCE!!!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, sending Sharon recoiling and even making Zero jump. "You will do as I say, or I shall have you expelled from this unit!!!"

Sharon, stunned from his outburst, could do nothing but grit her teeth and cast her eyes downward. Colonel harrumphed and turned to leave. "I shall be on this floor if I am needed," he said as he stormed off. He turned a corner and was gone.

Zero frowned. Colonel had been acting like this for too long. What was his problem?

"Ugh..." Sharon groaned, wiping sweat from her brow and grumbling about Colonel. Suddenly, she realized something and went red. "Uh, Zero? Can you take over my post for a second? I need to use the little girl's room."

Zero nodded. "OK, just be quick..." he cautioned. Sharon nodded and took off down the hallway.

With her gone, Zero turned and headed down the stairs into the basement. If there were to be a robbery at the museum, the basement would be the most likely target; all of the scientists' labs were down there, as well as numerous storage areas and collections not on display to the public.

Zero selected a spot of wall and leaned against it with his arms folded. Usually he spent the whole of his shift like this, looking complacent but always quick-witted and ready to draw his Z-Saber at a moment's notice. Tonight, though, his mind wandered. As was the case so often lately, he was thinking about Iris.

Ever since she had revived him, Iris had been very warm and friendly with everyone, and not only had her battle skills improved, her social ones had too; in a sense, she was growing up. However, now that Colonel was back, she seemed to revert to how she had acted before the Repliforce affair: shy, distant and always staying near her brother. He didn't fault her for loving her sibling as much as she did, but the personality change was a different story. He began to worry; if something happened to Colonel now, how would she react? Would she, like before, go on a heartbroken rampage and need to be put down? He shuddered; he didn't even want to think about it.

Just as his mind began the cycle of worry anew, a loud THUMP broke him out of it. Instantly he was on his feet with his hand on his Z-Saber, charging down the hallway. The noise had come from the door at the far end, a little-used storage room. All Zero knew about this room was that it had two entrances: one through the door he was going towards and another into a second hallway behind each of the labs, connecting them in both directions. What was in there?

As he neared the door, he heard another thump, and the sound of someone breathing quietly reached his ears. Now certain of a burglar, he drew his Z-Saber and threw open the door. "Who's there?!" he asked loudly.

He heard someone grunt, and then footsteps took off down the other path. He cursed and chased after the sounds, hoping to catch a glimpse of the perpetrator in the dimly-lit corridors. However, just as he was catching up to the footsteps, they turned and vanished into a lab room. Zero whirled into the room, tripped on something and crashed to the floor with a loud clatter. He quickly got to his knees and listened hard, but he heard no more footsteps.

He rose and turned on the light to see what he'd tripped over. He had wandered into Professor Olson's lab, hit a desk and sent dozens of wine glasses to their dooms on the stone floor. He cursed his luck; Olson was using those to create a new exhibit on sound, so he knew he would be repaying him for the broken goods.

"Zero! What was that?!" Sharon's voice came as she came into the room.

Colonel appeared behind her. "What are you doing?!" he demanded.

"There's an intruder!" Zero exclaimed. "I chased him in here, but then I lost track of him..."

Colonel frowned and nodded. "Quickly, sweep the whole museum!" he ordered. "He won't get away!"

As quickly as they could, the security guards checked every inch of the museum, from the basement closets to the dinosaur bones. No trace of any intruders was found.

"...Was this some kind of joke?" Colonel asked, folding his arms and glaring at Zero.

"No," Zero answered, insulted that Colonel would accuse him of pulling pranks.

"Well, whoever it was, he's long gone now..." Sharon sighed. "The good news is that you chased him off before he could steal anything."

Zero nodded slowly, but the event still bothered him; who was that crook, and how could he slip through the museum without anyone else noticing?

* * *

"A robbery?!" Smith exclaimed. Zero, Iris, Golgi and he were walking down into the basements to survey the damage from the previous night. The police would be around soon to ask questions, but with nothing stolen and no suspects, they didn't expect to make any arrests. "That's not good... What did they try to get into?"

"It was that room," Zero said, pointing to the farthest door. "It was too dark, so I don't know what he was after..."

Smith frowned. "Oh, man..." he mumbled.

"What is it?" Iris asked. "Is there something important in there?"

"Yeah..." he replied, tugging at his shirt collar uncomfortably.

They walked into the room and smith pointed to a large safe door embedded in the wall. "Is that what they were trying to get into?" Golgi asked Zero.

Zero shook his head "I can't tell..." he said. "It was dark... but he sounded like he might have been over there."

"Why do you keep saying it's a he?" Iris asked.

"The sound of the breathing, and the footsteps..." Zero replied. "They sounded more like a man's than a woman's."

"Well, it's a good thing you stopped him," Smith said, walking over to the safe and raising his fingers to the button lock. "What's in here is valuable..."

As everyone watched, Smith pushed the 4 button, then 1, then 2, then 6. The lock made a noise and disengaged with a mighty CLUNK. Smith pulled the door open, revealing several shelves. Upon those shelves rested the samples of the Zero Virus, the Red Alert DNA and the Evil Energy. Also, on a lower shelf rested Bass's Buster; Smith had stored it there so the rowdy robot could not do any serious damage.

"Oh..." Iris gasped.

"This is where I've been keeping what Agile was after," Smith explained. "If someone was trying to break in here, he must have been working for that guy..."

"Oh, dear, that's terrible..." Golgi remarked, adjusting her glasses in a concerned way. "We'd better put more security around this."

"What?" Zero asked, turning to look at her. "Why?"

"If they tried once, they'll try again," Golgi reasoned. "Mavericks don't give up so easily..."

Zero frowned. Golgi was right about that; no matter how many times X and he had fought Sigma, the deranged Reploid had kept returning. Still, there was something about this sensuous scientist that he just didn't like, as if something inside of him was warning him not to trust her.

"All right," Smith replied with a nod. "Tonight I'll ask Colonel to patrol this area. I'm sure he'll be able to stop any bandits."

"Good thinking," Golgi complimented. "I'll go and tell him." She turned and left.

"Zero, you'll keep an eye on the entrance tonight," Smith said, turning to the red Hunter. "If Colonel needs help, you'll give it to him."

Zero's frown didn't fade, but Iris was standing right next to him and he didn't want to upset her. "...All right," he replied. "I'll ask Sharon to watch the gardens tonight."

"Good," Smith answered. "We'll catch him this time!" With that, he turned and went back to his lab.

Iris noticed Zero's tense look, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. "What's wrong?" she asked, calmly taking his hand.

"I... don't know," he replied, shaking his head again.

"Well..." she answered with a smile. "I know Colonel and you will find him. Don't be so worried."

Zero hesitated, looking at her kind, blue eyes. He wanted to much to tell her exactly what he believed, that Golgi was up to something that somehow involved her brother, but the thought of her becoming upset again was too much. He forced a smile, and reassuringly patted their joined hands with his free one.

Little did either of them know, however, that Colonel had been watching from Smith's lab door. As he saw Zero's affectionate gesture, his eyes narrowed with fury. How many times had he warned Iris to stay away from that Maverick Hunter? Surely he was too dangerous for someone as delicate as her.

"So, why did you come in here anyway?" Smith's question broke him from his anger.

Trying not to be noticed, he cleared his throat and closed the door. "Oh, professor... Err... I was hoping that you could supply me with some information," he said. "I'd... like to look at all the information you have on the Repliforce, if I may, please."

Smith raised an eyebrow. In the time he had been with them, Colonel had never bothered to learn what had become of his army. Why now? Ah, well. Smith shrugged and hit some buttons on his computer. Perhaps Colonel had just been too enthralled with the new world and had just become curious now.

The machine whirred and spat out a tremendous pile of paper, which Smith bound in a folder and handed to him. "This is everything," he said. "Is that enough?"

Colonel took the pack and frowned. "This will do," he noted, and left.

* * *

That night, the preparations began. Colonel was stationed at the safe room, and because Professor Smith had instructed the two Hunters to keep an open com link at all times, Zero was just a call away at the museum entrance.

"Sharon just called me," Zero reported. "Nothing suspicious on the upper floors."

"Yes... Good," Colonel replied. His voice sounded harsher and angrier than earlier that morning, Zero thought. "I shall call you with news..."

There was a long pause. Zero couldn't help but think that Colonel might be angry with him for some reason, so he decided to strike up a conversation and break any ice. "So... How do you like working here?" he ventured.

"We're in the middle of a security watch," Colonel admonished. "We've no time to discuss such frivilous things."

"This will make us less tense," Zero explained. "Nothing worse than an overly-tense guard."

Colonel was silent for a moment. "...Very well," he said. "The museum staff have many faults: they are hot-tempered, clumsy and childlike... However, most of the time they are adequate."

Zero rolled his eyes. "(Sharon, Darren and Mega Man would love to hear this,)" he thought.

"Something has been bothering me, however..." Colonel went on. "It involves my sister... She seems to be hiding something from me."

Zero felt his face grow hot. How furious would Colonel be if he learned that she and he were still close? He gritted his teeth and waited for an outburst.

"Whenever we go off to battle, she stays behind," Colonel reasons, "but she never seems to want to... It's as if she wants to fight..."

Zero mentally sighed with relief. Maybe Colonel was going to loosen up; maybe he would understand how Iris wanted to protect what she loved, just as the rest of the Hunters did. Maybe then he wouldn't be so uptight, and Iris could fight alongside him again.

"I certainly won't allow that," Colonel's voice broke in grumpily. "Her place is far away from the battlefield, somewhere she will be safe." There was an unpleasant pause. "...You believe that too, correct?"

Zero was caught off-guard by the question. "Huh? Me? Yeah, sure..." he stammered. "Of course I want her to be safe. I want everyone to be safe."

Colonel gave a raspy chuckle. "Of course," he said. "Now, perhaps we should-"

Suddenly, the transmission crackled with static; Zero hissed in pain and turned off his communicator, looking around warily. From the basement, he could hear the loud thumps he had heard the night before; the burglar was back, and from the sound of it, Colonel was out of commission!

Zero quickly drew his weapon and dashed down the stairs. Whoever this thief was, he was stronger than Repliforce's best soldier. However, Zero had beaten Repliforce's best soldier, hadn't he? Whoever it was was in for a surprise.

Zero ran to the end of the hall and found the room wide open. So as not to startle the crook, Zero slowly edged his way in and peered in from behind the door. A tall, buff, shady figure hovered in front of the safe, seemingly staring at the lock pad. Zero's teeth locked. Was he going to knock the door down? Perhaps he was planning to blow it up, but Zero didn't see any explosive-shaped objects nearby. What was he going to do?

Suddenly, the figure reached out and pushed the 4 button. Then he pressed the 1, the 2 and the 6. The safe made a beep and opened. The figure slowly pulled the door away and looked inside. Zero's eyes widened. This guy knew the safe's code! How could he know that unless...

Zero had seen enough. He leaped into the room, his Z-Saber glowing brightly. "Hey!" he shouted. "Turn around!"

The figure remained silent and stationary, his face hidden from view. "Don't screw with me!" Zero warned, advancing on him. "I said turn-"

The figure whirled around and struck him hard in the face, knocking him to the floor with a grunt; he also heard something soft fall with him. The figure turned and fled from the room. Zero cursed and got to his knees, recovering so he could give chase.

Suddenly he gasped. In the faint glow of his Z-Saber he could make out a military-looking cap lying on the floor. He ran to it and picked it up, running his fingers over the finely-detailed fabric. There was no mistake about it; the hat belonged to Colonel.

Zero ground his teeth, straining to put things together in his mind. Suddenly, he realized that the thief was getting away and got to his feet. He could still hear the footsteps echoing down the hallway, so he ran after them at twice his usual speed.

The footsteps grew closer as he ran. He passed a faint shaft of light on the left and grinned. The bandit had missed the stairs! There was no way he could escape now without wasting time doubling back.

They were nearing the end of the hall, where the door to the medical room stood. Zero heard the door open and took his chance. With a loud yell, he leaped into the air and brought his saber down towards the doorway...

The searing light of a heat saber stopped the blow. Zero leaped away and held his blade before him to see who blocked his way. Colonel stood in the lab's doorway, panting heavily and pointing his own sword at Zero. His hat was gone from the top of his head. "Zero..." he growled. "What are you doing here?"

Zero lowered his blade, sighing with relief. "Sorry..." he apoligized. "I was chasing... the thief."

Colonel's eyes widened and he looked around. "The thief?! He's here?! Where?!"

Zero raised an eyebrow. "Why weren't you at your post?" he asked. "Our com link died..."

"Yes, it did," Colonel acknowledged. "When it did, I grew suspicious and made a round of the floor..."

Zero reached behind him and held out Colonel's hat. "Did you drop this?" he asked.

Colonel frowned. "Indeed," he said, placing it back on his head. "Apparently, in my haste, it fell off."

Colonel was out of breath; he called running through hallways "rounds?" The thief had known the safe's code; hadn't Golgi told Colonel about it during the preparations? If he hadn't noticed that his cap was gone, he certainly didn't seem too surprised... Zero frowned with distrust, be he still wasn't sure that he had all of his facts straight. "Well..." he grumbled. "Even though he didn't steal anything, it looks like he got away again..."

"Curse my rotten timing," Colonel grumbled. "I must be more efficient next time!"

Zero turned away and scratched his chin.

* * *

"Again?!" Smith asked as Zero gave him the night's report. The emergency staff meeting had been called with hope of good news, but this dashed any chance of that. Colonel was not present; Zero had asked Smith to call the meeting when he was on guard duty elsewhere. Everyone slumped in their chairs, grumbling anxiously. Only Golgi seemed to be in decent spirits; she leaned forward in her seat and listened intently.

"Yeah..." Zero replied. "This burglar is getting sneakier... I chased him, but he got away..."

"This is awful!" Sharon huffed. "Twice he's gotten in, and twice he's gotten away! How the heck are we gonna catch him?!"

"Maybe we should put all of the guards around the entrances," Golgi suggested. "Forget about guarding the safe; we must keep him from leaving."

Some of the Hunters murmured in agreement. Zero frowned, but then, oddly enough, he nodded. "Yeah, that's a good idea, Dr. Golgi," he replied. "I'll tell Colonel about it right away."

"Good," Golgi replied, leaning back in her chair. "The last thing we need is one of Agile's men stealing what you worked for..."

There was a brief pause. Zero glanced at Smith and made a gesture under the table. Smith nodded and turned to Golgi. "Uh, Dr. Golgi, this is going to take a bit longer... Would you go and help Professor Krein? I promised I would help him build a new model, but I've got lots of work to do here..."

"Of course, professor," Golgi said, getting up and sauntering out of the room.

"Well, that was pretty useless," Bass grumbled as he got up. "Now, if that's all, I've got toilets to scrub."

"It isn't all," Zero replied.

Iris looked puzzled. "Huh?" she asked. "What do you mean, Zero?"

Zero looked around, then moved closer to the others. "...I think this burglary may be an inside job," he said quietly.

"WHAT?!" Sharon yelled, effectively killing his desire for secrecy.

"I saw the burglar enter the correct password for the safe," Zero went on. "Only a few people know that code..."

"Yes, only Dr. Golgi and myself," Smith replied, then he winced. "Oh, yeah... Dr. Golgi told me she gave it to Colonel, just in case."

Iris tensed at the mention of Colonel. She glanced around and noticed everyone looking at her oddly. "What?..." she asked quietly. "My..." Suddenly, she became angry and stood up. "You think my brother is working for Agile?!" she snapped.

Zero sighed. "His communicator died when the burglary started, and he wasn't at his post... I couldn't see very well, but the thief did look to be about his size..." he replied. "Also, I found his cap in front of the safe, and he wasn't wearing it when I found him later..."

Iris snarled. "Stop!" she huffed. "Just... stop!!! It's not true!" She stood there, her fists balled and her jaw locked, trembling with fury. After all this time, how could Zero still say such things about her brother?

The other Hunters exchanged glances. "So..." X said slowly, choosing his words. "What do you think we should do?..."

"What, you're actually listening to him?!" Iris yelled, whirling around. "No! No way! There's no way he's working for Agile!!!"

"Calm down, Iris," Darren tried. "Nobody said-"

"Yes, you did!" Iris snapped, looking furiously at everyone. "Do you think I'm stupid?! Did you think I wouldn't notice how you all avoid me now?!"

"We're not avoiding you," Bass replied, folding his arms. "We're avoiding that brother of yours. He's always with you."

"But why?!" she asked. "He hasn't done anything wrong!"

Sharon sighed and stood up. She had been fighting down the urge to bawl Iris out about that stuck-up army man since she had started yelling, but she had to say something. "Look, Iris..." she started, trying not to blow her top. "There's no reason to bite our heads off... We're your friends... but listen to me. I'm gonna be totally honest with you..." She paused and took a deep breath, keeping everyone in suspense. "...Your brother's a total jackass."

Iris had Sharon by the collar so quick, she even surprised herself. "That's a lie!!!" she hollared. "You haven't even given him a chance! None of you have! Just because he's bigger and stronger than you, you all decide he's gotta be put down! You're a bunch of hypocrites!!!"

"Iris...!" Roll gasped, horrified.

"Take that back," Sharon snarled, restraining herself from throwing the angry girl over her shoulder.

"No, I won't!" Iris retorted, shoving Sharon back into her chair. "Why won't you listen to me?!"

"Iris, please..." Zero started.

She turned on him with murder in her eyes. "And YOU!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "You're behind it all, aren't you?! You still think he's bad!!!"

"No," Zero tried to explain. "I think-"

"You don't care!" she screamed, tears starting to dribble down her red cheeks. "You killed him once, but that wasn't enough! You just don't care!!!" With that, she turned and fled the room.

There was a long silence. "Oh, no..." Mega Man remarked.

"I've never seen her get that upset..." Snake Man admitted. "We sure touched a nerve."

Zero turned from the group and brushed at his eye for a moment, then ran out the door after her. "Zero, where are you going?!" X asked, starting to get up.

Smith put a hand on X's shoulder and shook his head. "Don't," he said. "They have to work this out themselves..."

X gave the professor a sad look, then sat back down.

Smith looked out the door and sighed. "(I wonder... Did I really do such a good thing?...)" he thought.

* * *

Zero caught up to Iris as she tromped into the mirror exhibit, still boiling over with anger. "Iris, wait!" he called.

"Shut up!!!" she snapped back, still walking away.

"Listen to me!" Zero shouted, dashing forward and getting a hand on her shoulder. "I didn't finish my sentence! I think Colonel's-"

Iris whirled around and slapped him clean across the face. "DON'T TOUCH ME!!!" she screeched.

Zero staggered back at the force, clamping his hand over his nose.

"You never understood him!" she yelled. "You always cared about your duty more than him... more than me!!! I WON'T let you damn him like this!!!"

Zero winced and pulled his hand away from his face. A long, red stream of blood now connected his nose to the carpeted floor. Iris instantly recoiled from seeing it. In all her times of watching him fight Mavericks and almost get killed, she had never seen him shed a droplet; now, with just one slap from her, he practically bled a river. She slowly glanced down at her white-gloved hand and saw that it had several red splotches on it as well. Her eyes widened in horror at what she had done, and she grasped it instinctively.

"Are you ready to listen now?..." Zero asked. "I think Colonel may be involved... but he's not the real enemy."

Iris blinked a few times. "You... don't?..." she asked.

"Something's been off ever since Colonel was rebuilt, but I don't think he's guilty..." Zero went on. "I don't know everything yet, though..." He straightened his posture and put his arm over his nose to slow the bleeding. "I want to get that thief to try once more, but I need a trap... and I need everyone's help to set it... Yours, too..."

Iris hesitated. Set a trap for her brother? The very thought mortified her. "But..." she started. "I... I don't..."

"I don't want to see Colonel hurt any more than you," Zero sighed, extending his hand, "but if he's in on this, we have to do something... otherwise Agile will have the virus samples..."

Iris still wasn't sure. She was being asked to choose between her best friend and the brother she loved; that was a decision that wasn't to be taken lightly.

"I never wanted to hurt either of you... back then..." he said. "I don't want to now... Please, Iris... Please trust me."

Iris looked at Zero and the blood still dribbling from his nose. She turned away, but the mirrors all around put the image in front of her no matter which way she looked. She could almost feel the blood on her hands burning. She bit her lip; she hated to think of her brother as a villain, but Zero had never lied to her, either.

Slowly turning to face him, she took a deep breath. "...All right..." she said. "I'll... help." She frowned and approached him. "But if you're wrong, Zero..."

Zero managed a smile. "...Thank you, Iris..." he sighed. "And for everyone's sakes, I hope that I am."

Iris paused, then fished out a handkerchief and handed it to him. He gratefully accepted it and they started back towards the meeting room.

* * *

With Iris back in tow, Zero unveiled his plan for drawing out the thief. Firstly, instead of just the usual guards, everybody was going to be in the museum that night, hiding and waiting. Secondly, Zero had only pretended to agree with Golgi's suggestion; the guards would be surrounding the safe room instead of the entrance. Lastly, instead of engaging the thief when he appeared, they would follow him to see just where he would go.

"This should work," he finished, glancing at everyone. "If we can pull this off, we should be able to catch the criminals without anyone getting hurt." He shot a sidelong glance at Iris, who sadly looked away.

"I'll set it up so Colonel's on guard again tonight," Smith said, pulling out a duty roster sheet and a pen. "He always has been when the thief strikes..." He made a few marks and frowned. "Now all we have to do is wait."

Iris sighed. "...Brother..." she murmured.

* * *

"Yes, the security's going to be gone..." Golgi said into a tiny communicator on her wrist. "I'll get the things tonight."

"You had better!" Agile's snippy voice crackled out. "This is the third chance you have, Golgi! You know I follow strict ballpark rules!"

"Right," Golgi replied, maintaining her calm, sexy voice. "Don't worry... I'll get them..." She paused and pulled out another small device. "...And then I'll leave them a nice parting gift."

* * *

The day went by as it usually did, and soon the clocks struck nine. Everyone put on their jackets and mittens, then signed out and left the building, leaving only Colonel, Sharon and Zero behind. However, instead of leaving they secretly snuck back in through the service entrance and hid in the laboratories near the safe.

Sharon and Zero silently stood at the door to the safe room. Sharon shifted her weight uncomfortably. "Ugh..." she said. "I'm usually all for a scuffle, but just sitting here waiting... in the dark..."

Zero sighed. "Relax," he said. "It's not so bad."

Sharon snorted and folded her arms. "...You think this'll actually work?" she asked.

Zero glanced over at the lab doors, which stood slightly ajar. He pursed his lips and gently gave a quick whistle.

He was met with a whistle from each door. Iris and X were in the room closest, followed by Darren and Roll, then Snake Man and Mega Man, then Bass. Professor Smith was on the far end of the hallway, ready to turn on the lights when the burglar showed up. Every one of their friends was there. "...I'm sure of it," he answered Sharon.

Iris knelt at the doorway, staring out into the blackness. She could vaguely make out the shadows of Zero and Sharon nearby, glancing around alertly. "...Oh... I don't know about this..." she said quietly.

X sensed her inner conflict and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry," he said. "We'll get to the bottom of this."

"I hope so..." Iris replied. "This is so hard... Once again, I have to choose between my brother and my best friend..."

There was a pause. "Iris..." X started. "I, uh..." He trailed off and grew quiet.

Iris turned and looked at his dark image. "What is it?" she asked.

X shook his head. "...Nothing," he answered. "Don't worry about it."

Iris was about to press him about it when the sound of loud, hurried footsteps came down the stairs.

"Here he is!" Zero shouted. "Professor!!!"

Smith gave a grunt of response and threw the switch. Light blasted from the flourescent lights and stung everyone's eyes, but it also revealed the person who had appeared...

Tall and imposing as always, the Colonel of Repliforce towered over Sharon and Zero. "Colonel!" Sharon snarled. "I knew it!"

Iris gasped from her spot, her eyes wide with shock and grief. "M... My...!" she stammered. "It... My...?!"

"Good Lord..." X managed.

Zero brandished his Z-Saber and looked up at the Colonel's face. What he saw shocked him, but confirmed his suspicions. Colonel's eyes were blank and glazed over, like a zombie's. "So..." he growled.

"BRO-" Iris began to shout, starting to slip out of her hiding spot. X quickly grabbed her, clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her back. She struggled madly against the restraint for a moment, but then realized that if she ran out now, she would bungle Zero's plan and relaxed.

"OK, Colonel, if you wanna throw down..." Sharon huffed, balling her fists. "We're ready!"

Colonel hesitated for a moment, then drew his heat saber and charged at them with an angry roar. Sharon rolled under him while Zero blocked one swipe and moved out out his way, letting him crash into the safe room.

"Zero, what are you doing?!" Bass yelled.

"We have to let him take the stuff!" Zero returned. "It's the only way to know!"

With another shout, Colonel emerged from the room, the three cyber samples clenched in his hands. Zero turned around and felt the Repliforce leader's iron foot slam into his stomach; he fell to the floor with a grunt. Colonel turned and ran back up the stairs.

"Zero!" Iris cried as she ran to her friend. "Are you OK?!"

Zero gnashed his teeth and looked at her. "I'll be fine," he growled.

Bass, Mega Man, Roll, Darren, Smith, Sharon and X dashed up the stairs and vanished. Iris hesitated a moment, then chased after them.

Zero winced and got to his feet. "I hate it when I'm right about these things..." he grumbled as he started after them.

* * *

Iris ran quickly and caught up with her friends, who were standing at the entrance, looking around frantically. "Where is he?!" she asked.

"We don't know!" Mega Man exclaimed. "We were following him and he vanished here!"

Bass's sharp eyes spotted something above them. "Oh, no he didn't," he growled, pointing.

Everyone looked up to see Colonel standing on the large dinosaur statue. With another yell he leaped and smashed through the glass windows above the doorway.

"Son of a...!" Sharon snapped, whirling towards the door.

Everyone spilled out into the cold, dark, snowy night. Colonel was running towards the fountain in the middle of the museum's square, where another shadowy figure was waiting for him.

"Someone else?" X asked. "So, there IS more to it!"

"Don't talk! Run!" Iris huffed, wildly charging at the figures, every fiber of her being bent on knowing the truth.

She planted herself firmly before them. Colonel was right in front of her, so she couldn't see who the other one was. "YOU!" she yelled. "Who are you?!"

Colonel heard her and slowly stepped to the side, revealing his partner. Iris's eyes widened and she took a step back in surprise. "...No way!" she gasped.

The stolen goods now rested in the hand of Dr. Vanessa Golgi. She stood at the fountain with the same luscious smile that she always wore, a small, gray device resting in her free hand.

The other Hunters caught up quickly. "Iris! We're-" Sharon began, but when she saw Golgi her mouth dropped. "Wha?!"

"Dr. Golgi!" X exclaimed. "YOU'RE the one behind this?!"

Golgi gave a little chuckle. "Are you that surprised?" she asked.

"What are you up to, you labcoated eye candy?!" Sharon demanded.

"Isn't it obvious?" Golgi asked. "I know how much Iris wanted her dear brother back... It just happened to play into my own interests." She held up the samples. "We've been waiting for these for too long."

"'We?'" X asked, then his eyes widened. "You're working for Agile?!"

"That's just like you, X," Golgi said sweetly. "You always figure it out right when it's too late."

Iris bit her lip; her insides were twisting themselves beyond recognition in confusion. "But..." she murmured. "My brother..."

"That was the bait, honey," Golgi went on, casting a lewd gaze at Smith. "I knew that he'd do anything for you, so I offered him the chance to make Colonel a new body... What he didn't know is that I planted a special chip in his heart that would let me control him at will. After that, it was just a matter of time." She paused and took in Smith's horrified expression. "Oh, Professor..." she said sensually. "You do know that DNA Resurrection is illegal, don't you?..."

Everyone turned and looked at the panicking professor. His eyes widened and his teeth clenched at her words. "Golgi!!!" he yelled, shaking his fist at her. "I trusted you!!!"

Golgi closed her eyes and chuckled. "Sorry, Ross," she said, "but you know as well as I do that science is a cutthroat business... and I'll do anything... or anyone... to get what I want."

Iris frowned. "How could you, Golgi?!" she yelled. "Seducing a nice guy like him!!!"

Golgi's smile faded. "Seducing him?!" she asked. "Ha! I practically threw myself on him and he refused me... If I was seducing anyone here, it was you." She raised her controller and laughed. "Now, Colonel, destroy your brat of a sister!"

Just as she was about to press a button, a green beam tore through the air and blew straight through the device. Golgi screamed and hid her hand from the shrapnel. "No!..." she cursed.

Iris turned around. Zero stood behind the group, his arm thrust forward as if he had just thrown something. "Forget it, Golgi," he growled. "Colonel won't be controlled any more."

Colonel's eyes suddenly regained their liveliness. "...Hmm?" he asked. "What am I doing here?"

"Brother!" Iris exclaimed, running to him. "Are you OK?!"

Golgi snarled angrily, but then resumed her usual demeanor. "Ah, well," she said. "I was done with him anyway; I have what I want." She raised her hand and gave some sort of signal to the air.

From out of the low-hanging snow clouds above them dropped a small, purple aircraft. X, Zero and Iris looked up and was shocked to see the familiar symbol of the Mavericks painted on its side.

"Well, I must be going," Golgi said, straightening her glasses again. "Ross, you'll turn in my resignation for me, won't you?"

"Wait!!!" Smith yelled, running at her full-force. "GOLGI!!!"

Just before he reached her, she vanished. The plane whirled around and sped back into the clouds.

Smith sank to his knees. "...DAMMIT!!!" he screamed into the night.

"Oh, great..." Sharon growled. "Agile's got everything we worked for, now..."

Colonel looked between Iris, Smith and Zero. "Someone had better tell me what is going on," he said.

* * *

With a lot of hemming and hawing, the Hunters explained to Colonel that Golgi had been controlling him to get at the samples in the safe room. He was very shocked, and apologized profusely. After that, he offered to stay off guard duty for the rest of the night, in case anything else might go wrong. X took his place on patrol, and he remained in Smith's laboratory. X would check on him every so often, and he would always be reading the report on the Repliforce War. Every time X looked, he seemed to be quieter than before. Not once did the lab's light go out.

Iris was pretty shaken up by the night's events. Colonel, her friends, Golgi and the viruses swirled around in a confused mass in her mind, trying to sort themselves out and rendering her unable to think clearly about very much. Darren and Snake Man helped her back to the apartment, but she didn't respond much and it took a long time for her to fall asleep. She lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, the episode replaying itself again and again. Golgi had tricked them and had run away; surely it wasn't the end. Through the mess and jumble of her head, only one phrase kept repeating constantly: "what next?"

Morning finally broke over the city to reveal a still very awake Iris. Though she wasn't scheduled to work that day, the others and she rode down to the museum to see what was going on. She was still caught up in her own thoughts when they arrived.

Waiting for them at the front door were Zero and Professor Smith. "Good morning, Iris," Zero began as he walked over. "I hope you were able to rest."

Iris sighed. She really didn't feel like talking, but she didn't want to be rude, either. "I... No, not really..." she managed. "This is all so..."

Smith nodded slowly. He didn't look too good himself; his eyes had bags beneath them, and his stubble was longer than usual. "I know," he said.

Zero hesitated. "Uh... Would you like to go and speak with Colonel?" he asked.

"Um... Yes," Iris replied after a moment. "Has he... Is he all right?"

"He's been in the lab since Golgi ran off," Zero said. "X says he's gotten really quiet... I'm starting to worry."

"Well, we'd better go and see him," Smith noted. "I'm sure he's just as shocked by all of this as the rest of us."

The three of them walked down into the basement. Sharon and Darren stood at the lab doorway, looking slightly worried. As Iris appeared, though, they perked up.

"Hey, Iris!" Darren exclaimed. "How are you?"

"I'm OK, Darren," Iris replied. "Thanks."

"Has Colonel said anything?" Smith asked Sharon.

"No..." Sharon replied with a shake of her head. "That's the scary part. Except for when he mumbles, he's been really quiet..."

"Oh, dear..." Iris answered, scratching her chin. She knew that Colonel was always adamant about his honor as a soldier; perhaps being controlled so easily had made him lose faith in himself.

"I'm sure he'll cheer up when he sees you, though," Darren pointed out, opening the door. "Go on in!"

As soon as Iris and Zero walked into the laboratory, they sensed that something was amiss. Colonel simply sat behind Smith's desk, staring straight at them with a cold, accusing gaze. "Um... Hello, brother," Iris said weakly.

"Hi, Colonel," Zero greeted. "Feeling any better?"

"...Hello, Iris," Colonel said quietly, still staring straight ahead. "I am feeling much better."

"That's good..." Iris sighed with relief. "I'm sorry about this... None of us knew what Dr. Golgi was really doing... She completely tricked us."

Colonel remained stone-faced. There was an awkward pause. "Well, uh... We're going to try and go after her," Zero ventured. "We'll learn the truth, and make sure to bring her to justice for this."

"...Truth and justice are honorable things..." Colonel replied, his gaze not leaving Zero. "Lying and murder, however, are not."

Iris was about to say that she couldn't agree more when she wondered just why Colonel had said such a thing. "...What do you mean, brother?" she asked.

Colonel held up the report that Smith had printed for him, his gaze becoming a glare of pure fury. "You lied, Zero," he growled.

Zero tensed. "...Lied? About what?" he asked.

"Don't play the fool," Colonel accused. "You lied to Iris, and then you murdered her."

Iris's eyes widened. "What?!" she cried.

"You told Iris you would try to resolve this peacefully," Colonel replied. "After that, you came and killed me." He paused and looked up at the ceiling. "I remember it well..."

_(Flashback)_

The sunset over the Repliforce spaceport did little to help either swordsman that knelt on the highest launching platform. Both Zero and the Colonel had thrown everything they could muster at the other, and now they were both exhausted, wounded and breathing hard. Colonel was certainly the better-looking one; he only had a split lip and multiple lacerations across his body. Zero, though, sported black eyes, a bloody nose and several open gashes across his chest. Neither of them had wanted to come to this bout, where only one would walk away alive, but circumstance had pushed them into it without regard.

Colonel was the first to get to his feet. "I rose first... It... appears that I am the victor," he growled as he staggered to Zero and lifted his heat saber.

"Come on..." Zero coughed, tumbling to both knees in an attempt to get up. "We don't have to do this... We can still settle it without..."

"We cannot," Colonel answered in his melancholy tone. "Repliforce must be independent, regardless of what the humans think of us." He raised the saber over the red Hunter's head.

"Stop..." Zero gasped. "Iris... Think of Iris..."

Colonel hesitated. He knew how strong Iris's feelings for Zero were, which he himself frowned upon. Still, in that instant he realized how upset she would be when she heard the news. "...I will tell her that you died honorably," he said. "There is no shame in fighting for what you believe in."

Zero coughed again and reached for his Z-Saber. "I... I can still fight..." he panted.

"If you believe you can escape this, then do so," Colonel warned. "Otherwise... goodbye, old friend."

Colonel raised his saber as Zero drew his. With loud yells, both of them swung.

Colonel gasped in surprise as he felt a pain in his chest. He looked down and saw a gaping, smoking hole in the center of his torso. Zero's saber lay on the ground, still lit and sparking. Zero himself lay face-down, breathing shallowly. He was no more damaged than before; he must have simply run out of strength.

"You... You..." Colonel gasped as he sank to his knees again, taking in the surprise victory. "...You have beaten me... but... Repliforce already left for space... If you want to stop us... you'll have to follow them..."

Colonel sank lower and fell on his stomach. His head was practically touching Zero's now. He could feel more of himself slipping away from the world each second. "Zero..." he managed with a hard breath. "Tell... Iris... that her brother... urgh... died... happily..." He gave one last, shuddering breath and grew silent.

_(End Flashback)_

Zero frowned and turned away. "Yeah, I remember..." he said. "...I'm not proud of that..."

Colonel harrumphed. "My end was honorable. It is what you did afterwards which disgusts me so." He leaned over the desk, his eyes fixed on Zero with pure hatred. "Iris followed you and tried to protect the Repliforce's honor... and you slaughtered her."

Zero cringed. Iris frowned and shook her head. "N-no, brother! That's not what happened! I was-"

"Stop protecting him, sister," Colonel snarled. "He's done you no favors."

"Colonel, please," Zero tried. "What happened then... it was a horrible time... but now, Iris is here, you're here... Can't we try to get past it?"

Colonel's frown grew even darker. "You murdered my sister- someone who, despite my wishes, cared for you- in cold blood. That... is unforgivable!"

"Please, brother!" Iris pleaded. "Stop this! We've no reason to be angry now!"

"I have every reason!" Colonel practically yelled, banging his massive palms on the table. "You are residing with one who would behead you on a whim!"

"No!" Zero huffed, getting in front of Iris. "I would NEVER hurt Iris!"

"SILENCE!!!" Colonel yelled, grabbing the report and hurling it. It hit Zero in the face, knocking him against the wall and onto the floor.

"Zero!!!" Iris gasped, her hands clasped over her mouth. "Brother! What's wrong?!"

Colonel rose from the desk, walked over and grabbed her hand forcibly. "Come," he said in a gruff tone. "We are leaving."

"Wh-WHAT?!" Iris practically screamed. Leaving? Where was he taking her?!

"Iris! What's wrong?!" Sharon asked as Darren, Smith and she opened the door. She was answered when Colonel abruptly shoved her into another wall and stormed out, dragging Iris along like a ragdoll.

"Iris!!!" Darren called, running after the siblings.

"Arrgh... Get back here, Captain Ape!!!" Sharon yelled, chasing after Darren.

Zero emerged from the lab, rubbing his bruised forehead. "Still has one hell of an arm..." he grumbled.

"Zero!" Smith exclaimed. "What happened?!"

Zero looked around, then heard Iris shout from up the stairs. "We'll talk later," he said, turning and running after the noise.

Smith gritted his teeth and smacked his fist against his head. "Why, oh, why did I ever start this..." he lamented.

Just then, the lab computer screen began to flash bright red, and the word WARNING appeared on it. Smith ran to it and looked over the readouts and his eyes widened. "Oh, no..." he gulped.

* * *

A blast of cold air met Iris as Colonel dragged her out of the museum. She struggled furiously, but his grip was solid. "Please, brother! What are you doing?!" she asked.

"I'm taking you some place safe," Colonel replied. "Somewhere away from here... Perhaps a Repliforce base."

"A Repliforce...?!" Iris asked, her eyes widening in confusion. "Be reasonable, brother! Repliforce has been gone for a hundred years! Where would you take me?!"

Colonel glanced back at the museum and sneered. "Anywhere that those vagabonds can't get at you," he replied. "Now stop struggling; this is for your own good."

Iris heard shouts behind her. She glanced backwards and saw Darren and Zero run out into the cold.

"Iris!" Darren called, readying his cannon.

"Let her go, Colonel..." Zero warned, fingering his Z-Saber.

Iris wouldn't stop moving. "No, staying HERE is for my own good!" she retorted. "My friends need me, and I need them!"

"Gangsters, murderers and ne'er-do-wells!" Colonel replied. "What sort of friends are those? Dr. Thorne built you to be a proper lady, and I must honor that."

Iris frowned. "I never wanted to be a proper lady!!!" she yelled. "I couldn't stand that type of life!"

Colonel turned around and frowned angrily. "You shame our creator's memory by spouting such nonsense!" he said.

A small tear formed in Iris's eye. She was still trying to be nice, but his overbearing personality wouldn't let her get a word in. Maybe everything that her friends had said about him was right. "...And YOU shame him by treating people like you have!" she snapped, continuing to tug.

Colonel paused. "...What?!" he asked.

"My friends!" Iris said. "Sharon and Mega Man and Bass and Roll and Snake Man and X and Darren and Zero! They tried to be nice to you, but you treated them all like dirt! How does THAT become chivalry?!"

Colonel harrumphed. "After what Zero did to you, why do you keep calling him a friend?" he asked.

Iris opened her mouth to answer, but found she couldn't come up with a clear one. "I..." was all she could say.

Colonel's eyes widened in disbelief. "You DO, don't you," he said with so much disgust in his voice that it sounded like he'd just watched someone eat a corpse. "You LOVE that bloodthirsty animal!!!"

Iris frowned again. "Don't call him that!" she huffed. "That's just what I mean! You treat everyone like they're not fit to lick the ground you walk on!"

"Silence!" he snapped. "I treat people how they deserve to be treated!!!"

"No, you don't!" Iris argued, her face reddening. "You can't get over how he fights! Zero is a good person, but you won't see it! The others were right about you... You're a closed-minded... arrogant... jerk!!!"

Before Iris knew what was happening, Colonel had slapped her square across the jaw. After a moment, he squeezed her hand tighter. "I'm taking you far away from here," he growled. "We'll go to a high-cultured place where you can be a proper lady, far away from these imbeciles. They've obviously ruined you."

Iris rubbed her sore cheek, her eyes spilling over with hurt and anger and her mouth open and trembling in shock. She was just about to scream something else when Smith's voice boomed out over the museum intercom. "Emergency! Emergency!!!" he shouted. "All Hunters, assemble immediately!!!"

"What?!" Darren asked, whirling around. "What's that for?"

"Hmmph..." Colonel growled. "This is of no importance to us! Come along, Iris."

He started to pull again, but Iris stood firm. He turned around and glared at her. "What are you doing?!" he snapped. "Come ON!!!"

Iris looked at her brother angrily. With one swift motion, Colonel screamed and her hand was free. He snarled and rubbed at his sore fingers as she turned and ran to Zero and Darren. "Come on!" she said.

Zero looked hard at her, then at Colonel, then nodded. "Right," he said. "Let's get to the professor."

The three Hunters headed for the museum. "IRIS!!!" Colonel yelled. "GET BACK HERE!!!"

Iris turned back to him. "Sorry, brother!" she huffed. "I have to help my friends!" With that, she turned and ran.

Colonel balled his fists and let out an angry roar that made the snow deposits shift, then charged back into the museum.

* * *

"Oh, this is bad..." Smith gulped as he stared at the computer. He wiped at the sweat running down his forehead, but it didn't do any good. "This is really bad..."

"Professor!" Zero called as Darren, Iris, Sharon and he ran into the room. "What's going on?!"

"It's Flame Stag again!" Smith answered, pointing to the screen. On the familiar large map was a red, blinking spot in the state of Washington. "He's at Mount St. Helens!"

"Figures..." Sharon grumbled. "Fire-types... volcanos... So obvious."

"Geothermal reports are coming in all across the country," Smith went on. "The mountain's internal temperature is rising... That means pressure is building up. If it gets much stronger, it'll explode!!!"

"Explode?" Darren asked. "Like, erupt?"

"No..." Smith said, shaking his head gravely. "Explode! The entire mountain will blow sky-high!"

"Oh, dear..." Iris said. "How bad would that be?"

"Well, with the calculated blast radius, subsequent earthquakes, fissures, ash clouds and lava flows..." Smith answered, nervously pushing his glasses around. "Let's just say we'd be down to forty-nine states!"

Iris frowned. "I've heard enough," she growled. "Send me there, professor! We can't let him do that!"

"I'm going, too," Zero added. Iris glanced at him worriedly, but said nothing.

"All right," Smith said, hitting some buttons. "The transporter's active. Hurry!"

Iris and Zero ran down the hall to the transporter. Before they leaped in, Iris looked at Zero again. "Why did you want to come?" she asked.

Zero looked at her, then back down the hall, as if he were expecting something. "...Just in case," he replied.

Iris blinked, then nodded. One by one, they hopped into the transporter and disappeared.

"Whew..." Smith sighed. "I hope they can handle this... I-"

Just then, there was a loud roar, and Colonel practically tore the door off at its hinges, making them whirl around in surprise. "Where is my sister?!" he demanded.

"I... I... Uh..." Smith stammered.

Colonel's eyes darted to the computer screen and its map. With another frustrated growl, he turned and raced down the hall towards the transporter.

"Oh, crap!" Sharon gulped. "He'll tear Zero to bits!"

"But Flame Stag!..." Darren said. "Can Iris fight him alone?!"

Sharon hesitated, then growled. "Keep that transporter open, prof!" she called, tearing down the hallway after the military madman.

Smith was flabbergasted. "What... just happened?" he asked Darren.

Darren turned to him with a look of concern. "Just hope everything works out," he replied. "I have a bad feeling about this..."

Just then, several police officers appeared in the doorway. "Professor Ross Smith?" one of them asked.

Smith looked at them with confusion. "Yes?" he asked.

"I'm Lieutenant Vanders from the St. Paul police," the officer said, showing his badge. "We received an anonymous tip that you've been practicing DNA Resurrection. We have a warrant to search your labs."

Smith's teeth clenched. Apparently, Golgi wasn't through tormenting him.

* * *

In the blink of an eye, Iris and Zero stood at the top of majestic Mount St. Helens. They could see the lush Washington forests and cities beneath the gray, rainy skies for miles around them, but the view was spoiled by the thick, black smoke that curled up from the volcano's interior.

"He's down there..." Zero growled, looking into the smoking crater. "It's going to get hot."

Iris winced. She didn't know if her armor or her Reploid body could take the intense heat inside of a volcano. Still, if Zero could make it down there, she was willing to chance it. "Right," she answered, readying her I-Buster. "Let's go!"

They slid down the side of the crater and dropped into the smoking hole. Seconds later, Colonel appeared at the crater's lip. He looked across the horizon furiously for any signs of his sister, then focused on the mouth of the volcano. With a growl, he started forward.

Suddenly, something grabbed his arm and he whirled around. "Hold on there, Cap'n Crab!" Sharon huffed as her hand clamped down hard. "You stay put!"

Colonel drew his sword and pointed it at her throat. "Out of my way, fool," he warned.

Sharon frowned, then swung her legs and kicked the unactivated saber from his grip. "You're drawing a sword on a fellow officer?" she snapped. "What's gotten into you?!"

Colonel started for her with his fists, but then hesitated, mulling over her words. Grabbing Iris, forcing her to follow him and striking down her friends... None of that was behavior becoming his miltary status. He looked away, his face showing confusion and anger. Why was he doing these things?

"You've been a major butt all along, but since we freed you from Golgi, you've been even worse!" Sharon went on. "What's going on?"

"I... I don't know..." Colonel admitted, lowering his hands and stepping backwards. "I read the report on the Repliforce war... and I grew angry... I have not been able to calm myself..."

Sharon's glare softened. Maybe Colonel simply worried too much about his sister, and that prompted all of his rough behavior. "Well..." she said, walking over and retrieving his sword. "Look, she's in the middle of something important right now."

Colonel frowned, not sheathing his blade. "It is important that she goes with me," he replied.

"Listen up, jerk!" Sharon went on, balling her fists. "If Flame Stag isn't stopped, this whole state is history! Now, you can either help us beat him, or you can go back to the lab in a neck brace!"

Colonel sneered and pointed the sword again. "My sister is going somewhere safe," he growled. "You shall not pollute her any further!!!"

Sharon returned the sneer and fired up her fists. "If that's the way you wanna play..." she huffed, "...fine!"

Colonel lunged at her with his activated sword, and she swung her fire-enveloped fist. Suddenly, something happened that neither of them expected. The flames around her knuckles grew to double their size and changed from bright red to a much hotter blue tint. The blaze instantly deactivated Colonel's sword and knocked him to the ground, his hands coated with burns.

As he screamed and cursed and rolled around in the dirt, Sharon looked at her hands in shock. "Wh... What?!" she asked.

"All right!... All right!..." Colonel gasped, holding up his hand in surrender. "I shall... I shall stand down..."

Sharon decided to ignore her own strange incident and focus on Colonel. "Good," she said, pulling him up and grabbing his sword. "Now let's go find Iris and Zero."

They walked quickly down into the crater towards the smoke. As they walked, Colonel began to feel hotter. Sweat ran down his face, and his breathing became harder. "I... I am getting hot..." he panted.

"We're in a volcano," Sharon, who seemed unaffected by the temperature, said carelessly. "Of course it's hot."

The logic was sound, but Colonel couldn't help but feel like he was hotter than he should have been. This sickening heat felt like it was coming from inside of him, and not from the smoke and ash. Still, he disregarded it and focused on looking for Iris. When he found her, Zero would pay for what he had done. Dearly.

Before Sharon knew it, Colonel had broken away from her and was charging into the volcano. "HEY!!!" she yelled after him, but it was no use. She cursed loudly, then chased after him.

* * *

Zero waved his hands around, but it wasn't any use; the entire inside of the volcano was filled with hot smoke. "Ugh... I can't... (COUGH)... see anything..." he managed between gasps.

Iris thought for a moment, then checked her weapon. "Let me help," she said. Her armor changed from blue and red to green and yellow, and she pointed her buster at the smoke. A powerful gust of wind tore through the clouds and dissipated them.

Zero was impressed. "Double Cyclone..." he said. "...I didn't know you had that."

Iris smiled at him, then pointed ahead. "Come on!" she said. "Shouldn't the heart be up ahead?"

Zero nodded, and they ran down the superheated tunnel. Iris was sweating rivers, but she was determined not to be left behind. Everything was going wrong: The samples were stolen, Golgi had betrayed them, and Colonel's personality had taken a dark turn. The best thing she could do for herself at the moment was stop this Maverick from hurting anyone else.

They rounded a corner and came to a large, cavernous chamber where the air wavered from all the steam and hot gas. Several mechanical diodes and pipes ran all throughout the room, showing how much it took to keep the volcano from erupting on its own. Still, Iris and Zero knew that no technology could stop an explosion of the magnitude Smith had predicted.

Beyond a large, earthen courtyard-like area was a long, skinny peninsula overlooking a lake of magma. Flame Stag stood at the end of that outcropping, sending wave upon wave of his firey attacks into the melted rock.

"Flame Stag!" Iris called out, raising her I-Buster.

Flame Stage turned around, noticed them and grinned wickedly. With one somersault, he landed back in the courtyard. "Good to see you again, Iris," he chuckled. "Didja miss me?"

"Stop what you're doing," Zero growled. "You won't win."

"Oh, is that so?" Flame Stag asked. "It's just about ready, you know..." He pulled out a small remote with two buttons. "I've placed two charges at the top of that lava lake... If they blow, the whole mountain blows!"

Iris frowned, but didn't lower her weapon. "There's no reason for us to do this," she said. "Just drop the remote and nobody gets hurt!"

Flame Stag laughed out loud. "You really don't get what a Maverick is, do you?!" he asked. With a dynamic flick of his wrist, he pushed one of the buttons.

A huge explosion rocked the room, followed by a violent earthquake that brought down several huge chunks of the ceiling. Iris and Zero lost their balance and tumbled to their knees. "Urrrgh!..." Zero growled. "He's serious..."

"You bet I am!" Flame Stag laughed, sticking the remote back in his pocket and balling his fists. "Now, who wants to bring it?!"

Iris got back on her feet and looked over at her friend. "Zero, we have to get that away from him!" she said.

Zero nodded and raised his saber. "Cover me," he said, then ran at the burning deer and swung.

Flame Stag caught the blade between his firey fists and yanked Zero in close to him, then caught him in a barrage of kicks. Zero, however, wasn't entirely caught off-guard; he let go of his saber, grabbed one of Stag's legs in mid-kick and flipped him into the air. "Now!!!" he yelled.

Iris raised her I-Buster and shot the airborne Maverick in the stomach with a charged blast, sending him crashing into the dirt. The Z-Saber flew from his hands and landed right in Zero's.

"Yes!" Iris cheered happily.

"Good... but don't get too cocky," Zero warned as Flame Stag got back on his feet. Zero swung again and he leaped right into Iris's range, where she pelted him with shots.

"Agh! Quit it, you stupid...!" Flame Stag snapped as he whirled around and leaped at Iris in a flying kick. "You're gonna get it now!!!"

His kick never reached her. Within milliseconds, she had drawn her I-Saber and slashed his foot. With a loud howl he bounced backwards, rubbing at it and cursing angrily. "Did you forget that I had this?" she asked, holding out both the sword and the gun. "Now give up!"

Flame Stag chuckled wickedly. "Idiot!" he taunted. "I'm just getting warmed up!!!" He strained and snarled wildly and the orange flames around his knuckles and antlers changed to a bluish color.

"Oh, no..." Zero gasped. "Iris, stay back. You can't take that temperature..."

Iris clenched her teeth. Zero had a point; while his armor was a strong titanium alloy, hers was only a rubber composite; it melted at a lower temperature. If her armor melted, she wouldn't stand a chance against the Maverick.

"And you think YOU can, prettyboy?!" Flame Stag laughed as he leaped at Zero, his entire arm engulfed in fire.

Stag was going so fast that Zero couldn't counter the rush, and held up his blade to block the punch. Stag's knuckle met with it and he bounced away, but he quickly charged again. Each time he dove with a blow, Zero blocked it and drove him off, causing a dangerous deadlock. "Yeah, keep blockin'!" Stag taunted, zipping in and out of the line of vision. "You're gonna get tired soon enough!"

Iris wanted to help, but because Flame Stag was moving so fast, she couldn't get a clear shot at him. The moment her targeting sensors locked onto him, he was gone. "Ugh..." she groaned, already uncomfortable from the heat. "Zero, I can't get at him!"

Zero turned his head to glance at Iris. "Try moving to your-" he began. That was all the distraction that Flame Stag needed. He zipped in under Zero's weapon and caught his elbow in his blazing hands. The searing heat came on so quickly that Zero screamed and dropped his weapon.

Iris gasped out loud. "No! Zero!!!" she cried.

She raised her Buster again, but Stag dragged Zero in front of him, a devilish grin on his face. "Heh heh..." he cackled to Iris. "You're pretty tough... too bad you're too soft for this job!"

Iris grunted in frustration and lowered her Buster.

"OK, she's lowered her gun," Zero growled, trying to keep from howling at the burning of his arm. "Let me go so we can... finish this fairly!"

Stag gave him a wild eye. "Fairly?!" he asked. "Were YOU fair back in the day?!"

Zero hesitated, the pain worsening. "...What do you mean?" he asked.

"Back when I was a Hunter, and we all trained together," Stag recalled. "X beat me in a sparring match, and when I got mad about it, you expelled me! How was THAT fair?!"

"You attacked him!" Zero argued. "It's Maverick behavior to attack another Hunter!"

"Heh! Lots of stuff is Maverick behavior, isn't it?" Stag sneered, his blue flames intensifying. "Ah, well... If you think what I did to X was bad... Wait until you see what I do to you!"

Instantly Zero was free of Stag's grip, and the Maverick landed in front of him. "Let's see you block THIS!!!" he yelled, thrusting his palms out. "HADOUKEN!!!"

Before Zero could react, a wave of blue fire shot from Stag's palms and covered him. With a loud yell, he staggered backwards, hit a wall and fell over.

"ZERO!!!" Iris cried, running towards the smoking Hunter.

"Don't think I forgot about you!" Stag laughed, pointing his palms at her. "HADOUKEN!!!"

The inferno tore through Iris, and with a cry she sank to her knees. The fire had taken its toll; her armor was beginning to melt. Burn circles appeared all over her shirt and skirt, revealing her tender, defenseless sub-armor beneath. Her face had several burn marks across it as well, which she didn't dare touch for fear of peeling her synthetic skin.

Obviously believing that Zero was no longer a danger, Flame Stag towered over Iris with a crazy grin. "You just got a tan that time, girly," he said. He raised his hands and an asteroid-sized, blue fireball materialized above his head. "Here comes the REAL burn!!!"

Iris's eyes widened in terror. She raised her I-Buster but found that she couldn't fire; she was too nervous.

Suddenly, a loud and familiar battle cry boomed from behind her. Flame Stag looked up just in time for a heat saber to slash him across the chest. With a loud shriek, he toppled backwards and the fireball dissipated.

Iris looked up. Colonel stood before her, panting hard, his weapon glowing in his hand. "Do... not... touch... my... sister!!!" he snarled in an animalistic voice.

"Br... Brother?!" Iris asked, looking up. He looked like himself, but that certainly hadn't sounded like him.

Flame Stag got back on his feet and growled. "HEY!!!" he yelled. "I was in the middle of something, army man! You wanna throw down, too?!" With another yell, he lunged at Colonel.

Two swift strokes from Colonel's sword and it was over. Stag wavered, then his top half separated from his bottom. "G'AAAAAGGHHHH!!!" he shrieked as he tumbled.

Iris saw her opening. She charged her buster and fired, blowing a hole straight through the Maverick's chest. He collapsed to the ground and did not rise again. A small chip like the kind that Professor Olson had found in Web Spider and installed in Darren's gun skittered out of his body and stopped at her feet.

"Whew..." she panted, grabbing the weapon ship and letting her head drop in relief for a moment. "We... We did it... Thank you, brother..."

Colonel turned around silently; Iris could feel his red-hot gaze on her. "...Brother?" she asked.

"Iris! Zero!!!" Sharon yelled anxiously as she ran into the room. "There's something wrong with Colonel!!! He's..."

Before Sharon could finish, Iris felt Colonel's iron grip on the back of her collar, dragging her to her feet. She looked up and saw his usually calm eyes were practically popped out with anger. "What..." he snarled as he grabbed her I-Buster, "...is this?! You're a Hunter?! A HUNTER?!"

Once again Iris found herself struggling against his massive hands. "Brother, please!" she pleaded, trying to free herself. "I can... I can explain!"

Colonel didn't need an explanation, apparently; he dropped her and stomped over to Zero, who was just getting up again. "YOU!!!" he yelled. "You forced her into this!!!"

Zero wasn't entirely aware, after the burn that Flame Stag had given him. "Wh... What?" he asked.

Colonel's response was another harsh kick. Zero sailed backwards and slammed into the wall next to Sharon. The whole cave shook at its power, and more of the ceiling fell in.

"Brother, stop!" Iris said. "We've defeated the Maverick... the volcano is safe. We can go home and talk about this!"

Colonel's eyes were still fixed on Zero. "There is no more to discuss," he snarled, activating his heat saber again and heading for the red Hunter. "This fiend is the source of all the problems. When he is gone, everything will be fine..."

Suddenly, Iris dashed in front of him and held her arms out, tears starting to spill down her cheeks. "No!" she said. "I won't let you hurt him!"

Colonel's face was a mask of raw hatred. "You protect the rat who sullied you?!" he roared. "I am doing this for your own good!!!"

Iris stayed where she was, shaking her head. "It's been a hundred years..." she said quietly. "I think I'm old enough do decide what's good for myself."

Colonel's jaw locked. "INSOLENCE!!!" he shouted, raising his sword and swinging.

"IRIS!!!" Sharon yelled.

A loud clash shot through the cave, and Colonel's swing halted. His saber had connected with the purple beam of Iris's I-Saber. He looked down at his sister with a mix of surprise and rage. He hesitated, seemingly realizing just what this meant, then gave a furious scream and pulled his sword back for a powerful swing.

Iris moved her sword and blocked it, but its powerful crash made her recoil. Colonel could take her head off with just one quick blow. For someone of her skill level, challenging him was pure suicide. She quickly glanced backwards and saw Zero, her best friend, lying helpless against the cavern wall. Her brother, the one she loved most, wanted to kill him, and in her name as well. As she remembered each of these things, it solidified her resolve. She turned back to Colonel with a renewed bravery.

"I WON'T let you hurt him!" she repeated, her tears mixing with a determined frown.

Colonel instantly let loose with every one of his sword techniques, driving Iris frantically across the battlefield, hoping in vain for a way to stop his rampage.

Sharon wasn't about to sit idly by and watch Iris get slaughtered. "Colonel! What are you doing?!" Sharon growled, pointing her S-Buster right at him. "Stop it, or I'll shoot!!!"

Obviously, Colonel wasn't listening. His answer was a fierce kick to Iris's side and a cleaving slash. Iris barely blocked his saber and rolled away to safety, but he quickly charged again and continued his assault.

"OK, THAT'S IT!!!" Sharon screamed, charging her fire-type buster and shooting.

Suddenly, just like last time, her weapon changed. Her small, orange fire bullets became one long, relentless blue pillar of fire, surging towards both combatants with absolutely no control. She gasped at its intensity, but remembered what she was doing and tried her best to focus on hitting Colonel.

Colonel didn't miss a step. He whirled around just as the fireball came into range and met it with his blade. The fire shot down to the floor and ignited the dirt. A huge, blue, fiery wall rose up around Iris, Colonel and the lava lake, making any entry by either Sharon or Zero impossible.

"What the?!" Sharon snapped as she kept firing. "That ain't supposed to happen!!!"

Suddenly, Sharon felt something liquidy on her buster. She looked and gasped; her gun was melting! The fire being shot out was even too much for her armor to handle! With a sadistic grin on his face, Colonel swung his sword and sent the remainder of her blast right back at her.

"Oh, sh-" Sharon started, but the azure flames enveloped her and the expletive ended in a screech of agony.

"SHARON!!!" Iris cried.

When the fire cleared, Sharon was still standing, although her armor was charred and melted, and her face was practically one big burn. She coughed once, then tumbled onto Zero's lap. He grunted and twitched slightly.

"Now..." Colonel growled, turning to his horrified sister with a malicious grin on his face. "Where were we?..."

Iris couldn't believe it. Colonel had just barbecued one of his colleagues, and now he was smiling?! What had gotten into him? Had his hatred for Zero finally driven him insane?

She didn't have much time to ponder it, though. He leaped at her again and kept up his onslaught of stabs and slices. "There's no escape!!!" he yelled as he swung.

"I... don't want... you... to... hurt Zero..." Iris panted as she worked twice as fast to stop his blows, "but... I don't... want to hurt you... either!!!"

Colonel swung, Iris ducked and he stumbled over her. She whirled around and with one quick slash, his Repliforce military cap went clattering to the floor. "Stop it, Colonel!" she yelled. "This is pointless!!!"

Colonel looked at his hat and his eyes seemed to flash red. He grabbed his chin guard with his free hand, yanked it away from the rest of his armor and threw it at her, smacking her clean in the chin. She cried out and fell to the ground, blood spattering from her lip across the dirt.

She looked up to see Colonel advancing on her, his saber aimed for her neck. His face was almost completely twisted into a devilish glower; he didn't even look like his old self anymore.

"Brother..." she panted as the blade drew closer. "What... What's wrong...?!"

Her question was answered with a laugh from nearby. Both Iris and Colonel turned in confusion and saw Flame Stag forcing his torso into a sitting-up position. "Ah ha haaa!" he laughed again. "Don't you get it, Iris?! Golgi got you GOOD!"

Iris blinked. "Golgi?" she asked. "What...?"

Flame Stag laughed. "She knew you guys might figure out what she was up to, so she boobytrapped your bro!" he said. "Without your stupid professor friend knowing, she slipped a locked vial of Maverick virus into his heart! It was programmed to unlock when her remote was destroyed! Your brother's gone... There's nothing left but a bloodthirsty Maverick! We win! Heh heh heh!!!"

Iris's eyes widened in terror. "No!..." she gasped. "Golgi... She wasn't even going to let me keep my brother?!"

"You're just like X and Zero!" Flame Stag laughed. "You're a great fighter, but you're such an IDIOT!!!" He strained and pulled out his remote again. "I've still got this, too... I'm sick of watching you fight; I'll take you all out anyway!" His finger teased the second button as he laughed again.

Iris's mouth was open and her eyes were watering over. Suddenly, she grew aware of her neck growing hot. She looked up and saw that Colonel was even closer to her, his blade inches from her windpipe. His eyes showed nothing but hatred. "Zero will die!" he snarled. "You will not interfere!!!"

Completely out of other options, she simply swallowed hard. "Brother..." she whispered. "Are you still protecting me?..."

She waited for the deathblow, but none came. She looked up and saw a surprising sight. Colonel had lowered his sword and was staring at her with wild confusion. The Maverick virus hadn't completely taken him over; somewhere inside him, his old program was still in control, and responding to her plea.

Flame Stag laughed again. "Well, say goodbye!!!" he shouted, raising the remote again.

Suddenly, he screamed; Colonel had run to him and caught what was left of him in a death grip. "HEY!!!" he yelled. "What're you doing?! Kill HER! She's the enemy!!!"

"No..." Colonel growled. "YOU are... YOU want to hurt my sister..." He paused and choked back what sounded like a sob. "...And so did I."

Despite her wounds, Iris got to her feet and looked at him. "Brother!!!" she shouted.

Colonel looked at her and sadly shook his head. "I am sorry, Iris..." he said. "Flame Stag is right... I can feel the Maverick virus within me... As an officer of Repliforce, I must eliminate all Mavericks..."

Iris's eyes widened. "What do you mean?!" she gasped. "NO!!!"

Colonel drew his saber and swung. A mighty gust blew past Iris and extinguished the firey wall. "Go..." he said. "Help your friends... I shall deal with this scum..."

Iris started towards her brother, but he brandished his sword again. "I am sorry, Iris..." he said. "...For everything..."

"Please, stop, brother!!!" Iris pleaded. "Golgi was right about one thing! You deserve a second chance!!!"

Colonel sighed sadly and shook his head. "Perhaps..." he said, "...but I have ruined it."

Tears were spilling down Iris's cheeks like rivers. "B-Brother..." she managed.

Colonel looked away, down into the lava lake. "You're very strong... You'll be all right," he said. "I'm sorry... to you, Zero, and everyone... Farewell, sister."

Before Iris could say anything else, Colonel and Flame Stag were gone. Flame Stag's scream was cut off abruptly and replaced by a loud hiss. Then there was silence.

"NO-O-O-O-O-O!!!" Iris wailed uncontrollably, dropping to her knees and clenching her fists.

The scream jarred Zero from his unconsciousness. "Oh..." he groaned, looking around. "Iris... Iris?" Noticing her so close to the ledge, he got up and ran to her. "Iris! What's wrong?!"

"He's gone, HE'S GONE!!!" she screamed, pointing at the ledge. "BROTHER!!!"

"Oh, no..." Zero gasped, showing genuine sorrow. "Colonel..."

Iris cried out again and pounded the dirt with her fists. Despite her hysteria, Zero looked around and took in the situation. The volcano was safe, but Sharon was horribly burned; she had to get back to the museum right away. "Iris..." he said, gently touching her shoulder.

"Brother..." she gasped. "Why... Why?!..."

"Iris..." Zero repeated. "We have to help Sharon. Can you help me get her outside?"

Iris sniffled and kept crying, completely ignoring what Zero had said. "Nononononono..." she whimpered.

"Iris!" Zero said louder, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. "I know you're sad, but if we don't do something, Sharon could die, too..."

Iris looked up. "Die?!" she asked. "No... No one else should die... Not now..."

Zero nodded. "Come on," he said. "We can carry her out together."

Still sniffling and crying, Iris limped over to Sharon and put one of her arms across her shoulder. Zero took the other side and they started out of the volcano.

* * *

"Wonderful! Simply WONDERFUL!!!" Agile snarled as he hurled another wine glass against the wall. He spun around and snarled at Dr. Golgi. "Your uselessness has reached its zenith, you good-for-nothing harlot!!!"

"Calm down," Golgi replied in her calm voice, her smile not dispersing. "We got all the samples they took from your Mavericks, plus the virus collection. Flame Stag getting killed was just a small setback."

"Oh, 'just a small setback,' eh?!" Agile huffed, sitting back in his throne. "Right! Of course! So not finding anything in Colonel's memory banks about the plans was 'just a small setback,' too?!"

Golgi shrugged. "I guess neither the Colonel nor Iris had them programmed into them," she reasoned. "We'll have to search elsewhere."

Agile cursed and clawed at the throne's arms. "Unbelievable..." he growled. "I wish I had Violen and Serges to work with again. They were far more useful than you."

"Well, we can't have everything, can we...?" Golgi asked with almost a depressed sigh. "Whatever the case, sir, we should move on to phase two..."

Agile perked up. "Ah, yes! We DO have everything for the first step, don't we?"

"Yes," Golgi said, the room's light reflecting off of her lenses. "Now we just need the other parts so we can put everything to use..."

"Right," Agile agreed, smiling evilly. "As long as we get the last three things, we won't need all of these worthless underlings. Start planning attacks immediately!"

Golgi bowed low and exited the room. His high spirits restored, Agile cackled wildly. "Just you wait, Iris!" he laughed. "The REAL show is just starting!!!"

* * *

Sharon was immediately taken to the medical area and treated for her burns. Iris and Zero's injuries were much less severe, so they were discharged quickly. Professor Krein had to take Iris's armor to repair the melted spots, though, so she quickly changed back into regular clothing that Darren had brought from their apartment.

"Sharon should be fine," Smith said when Iris and Zero came to check. "Her burns are severe, but you got her back in time. A few days and she'll be good as new... Tomorrow she should be able to walk again..." He finished with a sigh.

"That's good..." Zero acknowledged. "Can she see us?"

"Sure," Smith said, motioning for the door. "Don't be too shocked; she's just as ornery as ever. If you'll excuse me..." He turned and strode down the hall.

Iris and Zero walked into the room and found Sharon sitting up in a recovery cot. Her scorched, melted armor was cluttered up in the corner, replaced with a simple blue medical robe. Her blue hair fell around her extremely crabby, reddened face; it was only the second time that Iris had ever seen it.

She looked up and the frown vanished. "Hey, guys!" she said in her energetic, boisterous tone. "What's up?"

Iris sighed with relief. She was afraid that the burning would have really hurt her friend, but no major damage seemed to be there. "Hi, Sharon," she replied quietly.

"How're you feeling?" Zero asked.

"Ugh... Like an exposed mozzarella stick," Sharon replied, glaring at the robe. "I hate lookin' like this!" She paused, then forced a smile. "But, uh, health-wise, I feel just fine. A bit overdone, but fine."

Iris hung her head. "That's good..." she said. "We... were worried."

"You gave us quite a scare," Zero said.

Sharon chuckled quietly. "Sorry 'bout that," she replied. "I'm fine now. Really!"

She glanced over at Iris, whose eyes were still cast at the ground, and frowned nervously. "Uh, Iris..." she started. "Lissen, um... About what I said about your brother... I'm sorry."

Iris gave a shuddering breath, still focused on the floor. "I... It's OK..." she replied. With that, she turned and walked out of the room.

"So, you're fine..." Zero repeated. "Good. I wouldn't want to have to patrol the whole museum by myself."

Sharon chuckled, but then looked away. "Err, Z, maybe you should go with Iris, huh?"

Zero glanced out the door and watched Iris slowly walk up the stairs to the main floor. "...Hmm..." he said. "I don't know... Perhaps it would be better to leave her alone for a while..."

Sharon shook her head. "Look, I'm cool here. Go on and be with her."

Zero slowly nodded in understanding, then turned and left.

Sharon sighed and glanced up at the ceiling. "MY wounds will heal up with time, but..." she trailed off.

* * *

"Well, Professor," Lieutenant Vanders said as his officers walked out of the museum. "We've searched the grounds and there's no evidence of any DNA resurrection lab." He chuckled lightly. "I guess we were dealing with a prank call; there hasn't been a case of that in over thirty years. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Smith weakly raised his hand and forced a smile. "Yeah... Don't worry about it, officer," he answered. "I'll keep looking around, though."

Vanders nodded and left for his patrol car. Smith quickly walked down into his laboratory, slamming the door behind him. He looked around at all of his tools and instruments, and up at his diploma in Robotology, framed and hanging on the wall. As strange feeling welled up in his stomach. It was a sickening, angry, loathing feeling. The more he looked at that diploma, the angrier he got. The weight of everything he had done, all the lies he had used to cover up other lies, pressed into him. The diploma's words seemed to burn into his very soul.

Finally, he could stand it no longer. With a furious scream, he swung his arms across his desk, dislodging all of its contents. He ran to the diploma, ripped it from its hook, threw it on the ground and smashed the glass in with his foot. In a blind rage, he tore through his entire lab, attacking everything in sight. Papers flew. Glass shattered. Blood flowed. All the professor could see was red.

After five minutes, it was all over. Smith leaned against the wall, staring at all around at the wreckage of his room. He slowly sank to the ground and buried his face in his bleeding hands.

The door opened. "Professor! I heard some-" X's voice cut off as he stared wild-eyed at the damage. "What... What happened?!" he asked. "Did someone... Professor! Did YOU do this?!"

"Oh, X..." Smith groaned, showing his tear-streaked face again. "It's... It's awful..."

X ran to him and knelt down beside him. "Yeah... I heard about Colonel... Zero just told me..."

"It was supposed to be perfect..." he sighed. "I wanted it to work... Why did it have to end like this?!..."

X looked confused. "What?" he asked. "What do you mean?"

Smith slowly and ashamedly explained how Golgi and he had DNA Resurrected Colonel's new body, and then destroyed all the evidence. "Oh, Professor..." X said, slowly shaking his head.

"I know..." Smith replied. "It was wrong... It was all wrong... I just wanted to make Iris happy..."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of," X pointed out. "Golgi preyed on your good nature."

"Yeah, she did, didn't she..." Smith choked, looking over at his desk. The framed photograph now lay face-up on its side, facing him. "...YOU wouldn't have been fooled. YOU wouldn't have let this happen... Forgive me..." he mumbled. "I'm not worthy of being a robotologist."

X looked up. "Now, that's not true," he said sternly.

"Robotologists take a solemn oath never to perform illegal experiments," Smith sighed. "Such a terrible mistake... I don't deserve to be called 'Professor.'"

"Knock it off!" X said sternly. "You're going to let one mistake wreck your whole career?!"

Smith looked up at X; the blue robot was wearing the most serious look he had ever seen. "We all make mistakes in our jobs," X went on. "Lapses in judgment, recklessness... We can't let it dominate the rest of our lives." He paused and looked away. "I should know. I've made plenty of those..."

Smith looked at him closely. Since they had brought him back, he had always seemed to be hiding something. What was it?

"Look," X broke in. "I know you need time to recover... We all do..." He rose and helped Smith to his feet. "Just don't let this ruin your life."

"X..." Smith started.

X sighed and looked around the room. "I'd better go," he said. "Do yourself a favor and call Bass when you're ready to clean up."

X shut the door tenderly behind him. Smith turned around and walked over to the clutter. He picked up both the diploma and the photograph and stared at them thoughtfully.

* * *

"Hmm..." Darren said as he looked over the melted remnants of Sharon's S-Buster. "What did you say happened?"

From her medical bed, Sharon shook her head as she focused on a portable chess game. She had called him in to check out her armor, as he was both her friend and the most capable engineer in the museum. "I have no idea. My fire attacks went totally nuts at that volcano... It was like I was usin' a blow-torch to melt a marshmallow! My gun must have gone wack!"

"Is that so?" Darren asked, looking at her and scratching his chin. "Well, then maybe it's not the gun..." he said. "What sort of basic weapon chip were you installed with?"

"Weapon chip?" she asked. "It was a fire chip. What else is there to be said?"

"Are you sure?" Darren pushed. "Please, I'm trying to figure it out."

Sharon paused her game and thought hard, her mind scanning inside of her for the chip's name. "OK, OK..." she finally said. "It's called a OPGFXXX chip. Does that help?"

Darren scribbled down the letters on a notepad. "I'll check my Reploid Weapon Chip catalogue and see what that stands for," he said, getting up. "I'll come back when I find something. Oh, and how about I make you some spare armor to wear until your usual stuff is fixed?"

"Thanks..." Sharon said with a sigh. "Whew... What a day, huh?"

Darren sensed that she wanted to talk a little more and sat back down. "Yeah..." he replied. "How's Iris doing?"

"She's not saying much, but I think she's pretty shaken up," Sharon answered, resuming her game with slower speed. "I can't blame her..."

"Yeah..." Darren sighed. "As irksome as he could be, losing Colonel again is going to stick with her..."

"Well, he saved our lives... and the whole state... by doing what he did in that volcano," Sharon said. "I guess he really wasn't THAT big of a jackass..."

There was an awkward pause, and then Sharon's game beeped. "What was that?" Darren asked.

Sharon glanced at him. "...Checkmate," she replied.

* * *

Iris sat alone on a staff resting area bed, her eyes still cast on the linoleum. Her legs didn't quite reach the ground, so they swayed back and forth with a melancholy tempo.

She heard someone step in and turned around. Zero stood in the doorway, his armor now replaced by normal clothing. "Hi," he said quietly.

"Hi..." Iris replied, glancing back at the floor.

"How are you?" he asked, walking over and sitting down next to her.

She hesitated, then forced a sad little smile. "I'm... OK..." she managed. "At least... I will be..."

Zero nodded. "Good," he said. "That's... really good."

Iris shook her head. "I can't get too upset by this..." she mumbled. "Agile's going to try something again soon, and we have to be ready..."

Zero frowned. He was fairly good at reading people, and he knew that she was just putting on a brave face for everyone. She didn't want others to worry; how typical of her nature, he thought. Still, he also knew how unhealthy it could be to hide emotions; he'd hidden his share of his.

He took a deep breath and put his arm behind her. "Iris..." he said. "I know you're thinking of all of us... but it's all right to be sad for a while... I know I am."

Iris looked at him. "You... You're sad?" she asked.

Zero chuckled softly. "Sure I am... Colonel was my friend," he replied. "Suspecting that he was involved didn't change that..."

Iris felt awful; she had jumped to conclusions and even snapped at him, and he had never stopped thinking of Colonel as his friend. Suddenly she felt twice as bad for doubting him, and reached out to him. "Zero... I..." she started.

Her hand pressed against his stomach and he winced. Curious, she gently tugged the loose shirt he wore upwards. A large, midnight-purple bruise was spread all across where Colonel had kicked him, both at the lab and in the volcano. She looked up at Zero in disbelief and sorrow.

Zero gave her a kind smile. "It's OK," he said quietly.

That was enough. Iris's eyes spilled over and she clung to him, sobbing uncontrollably and digging her fingers into his back. Zero took hold of her soft body and squeezed back, whispering reassuring shush noises into her ear.

"Z-Zerooo... I'm s-so (SNIFF) sor-r-r-ry..." Iris sniffled between sobs.

"There, there..." Zero replied, rubbing her back. "It's all right... It's all right..."

"N-no, it's not..." she blubbered. "I w-w-was so, (SNIFF), so, m-meeeeean... A-and you got (SNIFF) hurt... You... Y-you were right about h-him... You were r-right..."

Zero opened his eyes and glanced down at her rosin-brown hair as she buried her face in his chest. "Shhh..." he answered. "No, Iris... We both were..."

Iris gave another wail and clung to him harder. "D-don't be mad... I'm so s-sorry..." she whispered. "Stay w-with me... Please..."

Zero's grip softened. "I will, Iris," he said quietly. "I'll stay... as long as you want me to."

Iris's body shuddered, and Zero gave her another squeeze. They simply sat there on the bed, holding onto each other.


	9. The Carnival Of Ice

**CHAPTER 9**

**THE CARNIVAL OF ICE**

A slow, quiet four days passed at the museum, with very little incident. The Colonel's death had a heavy hold on the workers, but even more so was the impact it had on Iris. Peabody had given her a week off for grievance, and she had not shown her face there since. She just stayed in her apartment, wearing only a sloppy undershirt and jeans, watching TV for several hours, and then going to bed. She repeated the cycle several times daily.

Though all of her friends were worried about her, many of them had their hands full with other projects... and other people. Down in Smith's lab, a frantic Darren ran into the hall as a barrage of curse words pursued him. "Hey, come on!" he retorted to the cusser. "I worked hard on that!"

Sharon stepped, or rather, marched into the hall with a furious look. She was wearing a new set of armor, and it was not the most flattering; it was simply a mess of boxy metallic tubes, and a square helmet with a hole in the back for her hair to stick out. Its only distinguishing characteristic was a big, red, drippy "S" painted on the chest. Sharon could not move very well; she could only barely bend her limbs, and it was impossible for her to perform any of her martial arts. "Like hell, you did!" she retorted. "What did you use? Cement molds?!"

"The old vent parts were the only things I could use, besides an old Omnitheater component in your helmet," Darren replied. "We didn't have a lot of spare stuff, and you said you needed armor to leave the medical room."

"I meant good armor! GOOD armor!" Sharon growled, stomping around crossly. "I can't do anything in this!"

Darren sighed. "Well, it's just for a day," he said. "Professor Krein told me that he'll be finished with your armor by tonight. In the meantime, I'll look up some information on the OPGFXXX chip."

"Well, that's good," Sharon replied, rapping on the chest plate; it gave off a hollow, metallic sound. "Sorry 'bout blowing up like that, but just imagine what would happen if I was seen in this by-"

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a fit of laughter. Sharon turned around slowly and snarled. Bass stood at the end of the hallway, his mouth twisted into an insane, giggling grin.

"...Oh, boy," Darren said, taking a step back.

He pointed at her armor and laughed again. "Heh heh heh!!! What's the matter, Sharon?" he asked, "wake up feelin' kinda stiff?!"

Sharon's face reddened. "Watch it, buddy..." she fumed.

Bass was not finished. "Heh! There's one great thing about that armor; it's perfect for doin' The Robot!!! HAAA HA HA HA HAAAA!!!" he roared, grabbing at his stomach. "Ohh, I'm gonna die!!!"

"DAMN RIGHT, YOU ARE!!!" Sharon yelled, taking some fast, clunky steps towards the wisecracking Wily robot. However, with her current armor, she moved more like a circus clown on paint can stilts than a furious Maverick Hunter.

Bass laughed again as Sharon staggered towards him. "Catch me if you can, Bobo!" he howled, turning and running up the stairs. Sharon gave an angry roar and hobbled after him.

"Sharon, wait!" Darren cried. "Don't cause a fuss! Peabody's angry enough already!!!"

It took Sharon a good two minutes to get up the flight of fifteen stairs, and Bass was waiting for her at the top. "Had enough already?" he laughed. "Hoo! This is just too easy!"

Sharon gave a loud yell and threw herself at Bass, who leaped out of the way; the bulky armor's momentum sent her crashing to the floor.

"Slippery, ain't it?" Bass chortled. "Careful; I just waxed that floor!"

Spewing words that nobody ought to hear, Sharon scrambled to her feet and chased after Bass, pursuing him into the museum entrance area, where he leaped behind the ticket counter (giving the clerk a scare in the process) and gave her a loud raspberry. Zero, who was guarding the entrance, looked up to see what was the matter.

"You lousy, stupid, no-good..." Sharon started, her face beet red. If her neck had been visible, one would have seen a large vein throbbing violently on its side. "I'm gonna-"

"Ah-ah-ah!" Bass chided, pointing at the crowd of people in the ticket line. "There're children present!"

Sharon paused and looked. There were about five kids in the line, all about four years old, all staring at her with wide-eyed curiosity. Their parents clutched them, ready to pull them away. She hesitated, then lowered her fists and took a deep breath. "N'grr..." she growled. "You got lucky this time, Bass!"

Darren ran in, panting furiously. "Ugh... Am I too late?" he asked.

"It's OK," Zero informed him. "I think Sharon's backing off, for now."

Darren noticed all of the children and grinned. "Ah... Nothing like kids to put your mind at ease, huh?" he asked.

Sharon turned around to walk back to the lab. Bass chuckled and pointed at her. "Look, kids!" he said. "It's the Tin Man!"

Instantly Sharon was charging back at the cobra-helmeted Reploid with murder in her eyes and a banshee scream on her lips. Darren and Zero ran, caught her by the arms and dragged her away as she kicked, thrashed and swore.

The children did not know what to make of it. One tugged at his mother's sleeve. "Gee, Mommy," he said, "he really does need a heart!"

* * *

"RazzlefraggindoggonestupidrottenmotherARRRRGGHHH!!!" Sharon howled as Zero and Darren dragged her back towards the labs. "Let me go! Let me go!!!"

"Calm down!" Zero ordered. "You're out of control!"

"Yeah," Darren agreed. "I hate to say it, but you're on track to becoming the first Reploid with a blood pressure problem."

Sharon's exposed teeth receded back into her mouth, and her limbs relaxed. Darren and Zero exchanged glances, then released her. "Ugh..." she groaned as she staggered off. "I'm just gonna spend the rest of the day hiding in the lab."

Darren's eyes widened, and he pointed. "Wait, Sharon!" he exclaimed. "Your legs don't bend well! Don't go down the-"

There was a series of loud crashes and the sounds of shattering glass as Sharon tumbled down the stairs and knocked a lab door off of its hinges. An unpleasant pause followed. "...I'M OK!!!" Sharon finally yelled.

Darren sighed and slapped himself on the forehead. "I have GOT to read some of Krein's armor books," he concluded.

Zero shook his head, then looked at Darren seriously. He had an unjustified dislike of the clumsy human, mostly because of his proximity to Iris, but he also knew that they shared an apartment; maybe he would know why she was not at the museum. "How's Iris doing?" he asked.

Darren thought for a moment, then sighed. "Well, she's not herself, that's for sure..." he admitted. "She just stays in her room, watching TV and sleeping. She doesn't seem interested in doing much else..."

"Yeah!" Sharon called from the bottom of the stairs. "Yesterday I asked her if she wanted to work out with me, but she said no... Actually, that was the most I've heard her say all week."

"Ugh..." Zero grumbled, looking at the ground; it did not sound like Iris was taking Colonel's death any better than before. "This is awful..."

"Tell me about it," Darren replied. "I'm really worried."

Zero studied Darren again suspiciously. He did not like to hear that sort of talk from him, especially concerning Iris. He did not want to admit it, but ever since he was revived, he had seen how nice Darren was to her. Over time, he had grown a suspicion that Darren was trying to become romantically involved with her. Seeing as how he did not know if she truly forgave him for killing her brother the first time, he was very wary.

Still, he did not let it show. He folded his arms and frowned. "There has to be something that would cheer her up," he said out loud.

Darren scratched his chin. "Yeah, that's a good idea!" he said. "I'll go talk to Professor Smith; maybe he knows something!"

Zero was startled at how quickly Darren ran off. "Wait!" he tried, but the boy was already out of earshot. Fearing what he had just accidentally set off, he leaned against the wall and brooded.

"Hey, uh..." Sharon called again. "Can someone bring my lunch down? I'm getting hungry."

* * *

A too-perfect family with a fundamentalist preacher for a father, four Mexican wrestlers, and a furious woman prosecutor who struck down any male who dared oppose her; these were the visitors that Iris saw as she repeatedly pushed the television remote's buttons. She sighed wearily; Professor Smith had been right when he had said that there was barely anything good on nowadays.

She shut off the device and looked around sadly; once again, her brother was dead, but this time, she had no one to blame but herself. It was not that she did not want to be with her friends at the museum, but she still felt awful about the whole incident; when they had voiced their complaints about the Colonel, she had snapped at them with very hurtful things, the worst of which had been directed at Zero. Because of that, she did not feel that she deserved any of their friendship at the moment. She turned and stared at her bed, which was already disorganized from several uses; maybe another nap would assuage her empty feelings.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Iris sighed and adjusted her shirt to look presentable; she did not want to see anybody just now, but it was rude to ignore a knocking door when she was at home.

She walked into the living room and opened the door. Mega Man stood outside, a friendly smile on his face and a plastic container in his hands. He was wearing a pale blue jacket and a red scarf; it was then that Iris realized that it had been snowing gently all day, and there was a good half-inch of the stuff on the stone steps.

"Hi, Iris!" Mega Man chirped, breaking her out of her observation.

"Oh... Hello, Rock," she replied. "How are you?"

"Oh, I can't complain," Mega Man replied, then gave her a sympathetic look. "Of course, the real question is how YOU'RE doing. We haven't seen you at work for days! Everyone's worried."

Iris sighed. "Thanks for caring, Rock," she said, her eyes lowering, "but I... don't really feel like seeing anybody right now..."

"Oh, I didn't come to visit long," Mega Man said, offering the container. "I just brought you some banana bread; you look kind of hungry!"

Iris took the container, opened it and found a small loaf of sliced, brown bread. "Oh... Did Roll make this?" she asked.

"Nope," Mega Man said with a chuckle. "I did! Roll isn't the only housekeeping robot around, you know!"

She had not eaten in two days, and the fresh smell of the bread was intoxicating. "Well... thank you," she said, pulling a piece out. "This is very nice of you."

"Aww, go on," Mega Man laughed. "Just trying to make you feel better."

Iris took a big bite of the slice, and her hungry expression changed. She chewed it for a moment more, reluctantly swallowed it, then looked at him. "Rock..." she asked, "did you peel the bananas?"

Mega Man blinked a few times, then reached into his pocket, pulled out a small cookbook and eyed it suspiciously. "...Oh! 'Peel bananas.' I must have missed that part," he concluded. "Sorry."

Iris forced a weak smile. "I'm sure it'll get eaten," she said. "Sharon will eat anything."

"Well, if you say so," Mega Man said with an apologetic look.

Iris nodded. "Excuse me, Rock..." she said, starting to close the door. "I have some business to take care of..."

Mega Man watched the door close and lock. "Well, OK!" he said to it. "Uh... See you later, I guess..." With that, he turned and left.

Iris sighed, put the bread container on the kitchen table, and slunked back towards her room. After tasting that stuff, another nap sounded like the best thing that she could do. It was nice that Mega Man had wanted to cheer her up, but cooking apparently was not his best way of doing it.

Just as she was opening her door, there was another knock, and she felt a pang of annoyance. Nobody bothered Zero when he wanted solitude; why wouldn't they just leave her alone?

She crossly went back to the door and opened it. There stood Darren, holding a large stack of books. "Ugh... Thanks, Iris," he said, staggering in. "These weigh a ton!"

Iris looked at the books as Darren plopped them down on the couch. All of them looked like technical manuals, with names such as Reploid Defenses, The History Of Armor, and Making Sure Your Reploids Don't Get Killed. "...What are these?" she asked.

"Just some study material," Darren explained, sitting down next to them. "Sharon hates her new duds. So, how're you doing?"

She sighed at the question, but since Darren and she shared the apartment and saw each other frequently, she figured that it would be awkward not to answer. "I was just about to take a nap..." she said honestly.

"Really?" he asked. "You... seem to be doing that a lot lately." He paused and grinned. "New hobby?" he asked.

Ignoring the joke, she shook her head. "No... I just haven't been up for much lately," she replied.

Darren nodded. "Yeah... I understand," he said. "These sort of things make you lose your taste for life..."

Iris frowned, sensing a 'cheer-up' type of conversation coming. "Do you?" she asked bitterly. "You know what it's like to watch a loved one die in front of you?"

Darren nodded again, this time more solemnly. "Uh-huh," he said quietly. "It's... devastating."

Iris was about to bawl him out when she remembered his story about his girlfriend, Tara, being murdered right in front of him by a Maverick; he really HAD lost someone like she had.

She hesitated, then sat down next to him quietly; maybe she really could have someone to be close to at the moment.

"...Anyway," Darren said after a pause, "I was going to head back to the museum... Would you like to come along?"

Iris shook her head. "I'm not really in the mood..." she explained.

"You don't have to be," Darren said. "Everyone just wants to see you. They're worried..." He paused, then added the extra touch. "...Especially Zero."

Iris turned and faced him, intrigued but hesitant. "...But if I go, they'll try to be nice to me..." she said, "and I wasn't at all nice to them..."

"Hey, we all understand," Darren replied. "Heck, I'm sure we would've acted the same if you said something about one of our relatives..." He paused again, then went on. "...Besides, they want to cheer you up. Nobody's holding anything against you."

Iris blinked. "You think so?" she asked.

Darren smiled at her. "I know so," he replied. "So, want to come?"

Iris thought for a moment more, then nodded. "Well... all right," she agreed, getting off of the couch. "I'll go shower and change, and then we can get to the bus station."

Darren nodded. "Great! Everyone'll be happy to see you!" he said.

"Well," Iris said as she disappeared into her room, "it'll be better than watching _Angry Female Prosecutor_ all afternoon..."

Darren stuck out his tongue. "Blecchh! You were watching THAT show?!" he asked, rolling his eyes and making gagging noises.

Despite her mood, Iris could not help but chuckle.

* * *

Much to Iris's surprise, the bus to downtown Saint Paul was packed full of people. There were parents and their kids, tourists, and even some elderly people who otherwise would not dare to traverse the icy sidewalks. Iris and Darren had to stand and hold onto the poles all the way to the museum.

"Wow..." Iris said as they got off of the crowded transport. "Why were there so many people on that bus?"

Darren gave her a secretive grin. "Dunno," he said. "Let's go inside. I'm sure the professor wants to see you, too."

The two friends walked into the museum and looked around. Opposite of the ticket counter stood a large, frightening-looking dinosaur skeleton adorned with flashing lights to accent its organs, a promotion for the new paleontology exhibit. Iris almost jumped; the display had been added while she was out, and she certainly had not been expecting it.

In the nearby waiting area sat Professor Smith, X, Zero, and Sharon. All of them wore their winter clothing, except for Sharon, who was still sporting Darren's junky armor. As soon as they saw Iris, they got up and started towards her.

"Iris!" Smith said with a grin. "So glad you could join us!"

"Hello, professor..." Iris began, then stopped; she noticed that his hands were bandaged up. "...What happened?" she asked. "Did you hurt yourself?"

Smith looked down, gave an embarrassed laugh and slipped on his mittens. "Oh, nothing you need to worry about," he said. "Keep your coat on, though; you'll need it."

Iris looked at his winter gear with confusion. "...Why are you...?" she began.

"We thought we'd take a little day trip," X explained quickly. "It's not too far... just to Rice Park, over by the library."

"Yeah, c'mon," Sharon urged, "it'll be fun!" She thumped cheerfully on her chest armor, and it gave a hollow banging noise; she chuckled embarrassedly.

Iris sighed. It was a nice gesture, but she was still hesitant; it would have been one thing for her to go to the museum and just be with her friends, but an extreme break from routine might be overwhelming. "...I don't know..." she said.

Zero stepped forward and looked down at her, locking his blue eyes with hers. "...We'd... like it if you came along," he said, though the softer tone of his voice hinted that he would have preferred to say 'I.'

Iris reddened and looked away. If even Zero thought it would be good for her to get out, then maybe she should do it; besides, since when did he put off work without an important reason? "...Well..." she said slowly, "...OK."

"All right!" Sharon laughed, slapping Iris on the shoulder. "That's the spirit! This is gonna be great!"

Iris paused. "Wait, but what about the museum?" she asked. "Don't you all need to work?"

"Don't worry about it," Smith explained. "Roll's off today, and we're going, but the museum has other employees... Besides, Mega Man is tending the Omnitheater, and Bass is cleaning in the labs. We're not abandoning anything."

Iris hesitated, then shrugged. "Well, if you say it's all right..." she submitted. "So, where to?"

Smith walked past her and pushed the door open. "Just follow me, everyone," he said. "You're going to love this!" He closed the door and started down the sidewalk.

Iris watched him go. "He's pretty peppy today..." she remarked.

X gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Well, he likes to cheer folks up," he replied. "...Shall we go?"

"Yeah, we'd better follow 'im, huh?" Sharon chuckled, then walked after him.

"Don't want to get left behind!" Darren agreed, following suit. X was not far behind.

Iris watched all of her friends go and sighed. She liked that they wanted to make her feel better, but she still did not think that she could be cheered up.

Zero stepped into her range of view. "...We should go, too," he said. "It's rude to keep them waiting, right?"

Iris snapped out of her thoughts and nodded. "Oh, yes!" she replied. "Of course, of course..."

Zero pushed the glass door open, and the two Reploids struck out after their comrades.

* * *

It was a cold, gray day downtown, but the gentle, falling snow made things look a bit more cheerful. Clean, white layers were covering up the grungy brown mounds that bordered the roads, and a torrent of footprints lay in the thin coating on the sidewalk. The fountain in front of the museum had a large collection of snow all around its rim, which a few kids were using to make snowballs and pitch them at each other.

Iris looked at the wintry scene and felt a little better. At least things were OK in the city; no Mavericks had ever ravaged this place. At that moment, it felt like they had never even existed.

"So, what's in the park, prof?" Sharon asked as they crossed the street and walked next to the large library.

"Oh, that's right! You've never been to it, have you?" Smith asked her. "You usually stay indoors in the winter."

"No kidding," Sharon sighed. "It's cold out."

"Well, this is a reason to go out," he replied. "Check it out!"

As the park came into view, Iris's eyes widened in amazement. Rice Park, which was usually only populated by trees and the occasional hobo, was flashing brightly with colorful lights, resounding with happy music, and bursting with cheery people. In fact, it was not just in the park, but the whole block seemed to be full of humans and Reploids alike, all chatting, laughing, and eating things like hot dogs and cotton candy. If it had been summer, she might have been less surprised... but it was the middle of January. What was going on?

X apparently shared her question. "What's this, Professor?" he asked.

Smith grinned. "This, my friends, is the Saint Paul Winter Carnival," he announced, "one of the unique features of this city!"

"...And also Smith's favorite party outside of Christmas," Darren added.

"Whew," Sharon said, glancing around. "So THIS is what all the hubbub's about every year! I never went out to see it."

"A carnival in the wintertime?" Zero asked, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow. "That's hardly practical."

"Yeah," Smith agreed, "but since this place is buried in snow for most of the year, the city figured it'd be fun to celebrate it!" He paused and pulled out a pamphlet. "This year is also special because of some of the guests," he said. "Remember Doctor Thompson?"

"Oh, the robotologist from Australia?" X asked, taking the pamphlet and reading it. "What, is she here?"

"Yes, she is," Smith replied, "and she's brought over a few Reploids that she revived. The theme of this year's carnival is about how the Reploids from the past can be our friends now."

"Really?" X asked, smiling widely. "That's... awesome!"

Zero harrumphed. "They can be our enemies, too..." he muttered.

"Well, any Reploid with the chip that she, Dr. Bahai, Dr. Donnerstag and I designed won't become one of those," Smith reassured him. "This is a time to put that stuff out of our minds and just have fun!"

"I asked Smith if he knew anything that would be fun to do around here, and he told me about this right away," Darren said to Iris. "How about it, Iris? Are you up for it?"

Iris looked out at the swarm of carnival-goers, each wearing a happy look. She herself still felt a little sad, but perhaps if she spent some time among them, she could wear one again, too. "...Well, why not?" she finally replied.

"Great!" Smith laughed. "Now, let's get in there and party!"

"Heh... You know I'm up for it, prof," Sharon said. "Even in this crappy armor, I can have a good time!"

"All right, then!" Darren said, starting towards the hubbub. "Let's all-" Suddenly, he tripped over himself and crashed onto the pavement.

X scratched his head. "Uh... I think I'd rather stay upright, thanks."

Iris snickered while Zero shook his head.

* * *

"Urrrgh..." Bass growled as he angrily thrust his waterlogged mop back into a green bucket. It had taken a good three hours, but he had finally cleaned up the mess Sharon had made when she had tumbled down the laboratory stairs. "Those dumbasses... Leavin' me here to clean up while they party hardy! If I just had my Buster, I'd..."

Just then, his eyes lit up. That goody-good professor was nowhere in sight... and neither was that hothead Sharon, or that crazy Zero. Of the Maverick Hunters, only Mega Man and he were working. He clasped his hands and grinned wickedly. This was the chance he had been waiting for; he would retrieve his Buster and fight Mega Man right then and there. After that, it would be easy to prove to those idiots that he deserved better than mopping floors and unclogging toilets.

He quietly put his janitorial supplies away and walked to the small corner room where the safe that had been recently robbed was. Bass grinned; Colonel had stolen all of the virus things, but he had overheard Smith say that his Buster had not been touched. He could reclaim his weapon easily; all that stood between him and his trusty gun was a stupid metal wall.

"Heh!" Bass chortled as he clenched his fist; back when Light and Wily were waging war on each other, he had smashed plenty of safes with a simple punch. "This is just like takin' candy from a baby!" With that, he raised his knuckle and let fly.

There was a hard BONG, and then a crack. For a moment, Bass thought he had opened the safe... and then his arm spasmed furiously, waves of agonizing pain washing over his digits. With a loud shriek, he staggered back from the device and clenched his arm, which throbbed and pulsed furiously, just like a cartoon character's.

"AGH... EEEEGH... GOD... DAMMIT!..." he hissed as he tried to breathe. "STUPID... DUMB... AGGHH!..."

He fought back pained tears as he glared at the undamaged safe. Obviously two hundred years made quite a bit of difference in safe development. He would have to come up with another plan.

"Back... to the drawing board..." he growled as he staggered out of the room. "...Oogh... but first... some ice. Eeegh!"

* * *

There were all sorts of game booths around the carnival area. Some were simple games of skill, like dart-throwing or card-drawing. There were also plenty of food vendors. Some had typical foods, such as hot dogs or giant pretzels (and even ice cream and popsicles, despite the frigid weather), but there were some more exotic stands that sold more multicultural foods, like baked yams or sushi.

"Enjoy, folks!" Smith said with a grin. "The best foods this city has to offer!"

"They call sushi 'exotic' here?" X asked as he looked at the stand. "We ate it a lot at Maverick Hunter HQ..."

"Well, seeing as how we're in the middle of the Midwest, with no oceans in sight..." Darren pointed out.

"Ah, right," X agreed. "I keep forgetting that! Silly me."

Iris took in all the sights, sounds and smells with amazement and wonder. She had never been to a carnival before; back in 21XX, there had not been many carnivals around the Maverick Hunter or Repliforce areas... and even if there had been, her brother would have forbade her from going because of all the "rabble" and potential pickpockets. He was always overprotective like that...

The sudden thought of her brother made her give a quick gasp, and then her eyes lowered to the ground in sorrow again.

"...Iris?" Zero asked, looking at her with concern.

Sharon gave her a sad look. "Still kinda down, huh?" she asked.

Smith looked around, and then his eyes lit up. On the far side of the park stood several large blocks of ice, each mounted on a wooden crate. A roomy, brown tent next to it boasted a bright sign that read ICE SCULPTURE CONTEST. A familiar woman sat inside the tent in a purple parka, sipping a steaming beverage.

"Ah, there's Dr. Thompson!" he said, pointing. "I'm going to go over and talk to her about her Reploids."

"Oh, may I come?" X asked. "I'd like to know, too."

Smith smiled. "Sure, X," he said. "Why, I bet she'll be amazed to see one of the greatest Maverick Hunters in history."

Sharon sniffed the air and her mouth started to water. "Woah... Are those..." she asked excitedly. She turned towards the sculpture contest area and saw a snack booth on the other side. What its sign said made her salivate even faster: CHEESE CURDS.

"Hot damn!" she exclaimed. "I'll come with you, prof! It's right next to the curds! My all-time favorite snack!"

Darren raised an eyebrow. "I thought calamari was your all-time favorite snack," he pointed out.

Sharon huffed. "I have a lot of all-time favorite snacks," she replied. "It's not like you have to be married to just one."

Smith turned to Iris, who was still looking at the ground. Zero and Darren stood nearby, apparently not interested in following him. "Are you guys going to be OK here?" he asked.

"Yeah, we should be," Darren replied.

"We'll find something to do," Zero stated.

"All right..." Smith said, approaching Iris. He took her hand and pressed a twenty-dollar bill into it. "Go and have some fun, Iris. It'll do you good," he said softly.

Iris's fingers squeezed around the money and she looked at him with a sad smile. "I'll try, Professor," she said.

"Good," Smith said. "OK! Off we go! See you three later!" He turned and headed towards the tent, with X and Sharon trailing behind him.

"Well, there they go..." Darren said, turning to Iris and Zero. "So, what should we do? Walk around? Get something to eat? How about a game? I hear they've got some sweet prizes!"

Zero gave a small groan. It would have been better if Darren had gone with the professor, too; now he had to try and cheer Iris up and also be wary of the clumsy human who was uncomfortably close to her. He scratched his head and coughed. "Well, maybe we can-" he began.

"Darren! Iris! Zero!" a soft voice cried from somewhere in the carnival crowd.

The three of them looked up in time to see Roll plant herself in front of them. She was all decked out for winter in a red coat, white mittens, and cute, pink earmuffs. "Hi, guys!" she said cheerfully.

"Oh, hey, Roll," Darren returned the greeting with surprise. "Fancy seeing you here! Wait... Isn't it your day off?"

"Yeah, but the carnival looked like so much fun, I had to come!" she replied, then folded her arms and looked pouty. "Of course, it would be more fun if I actually knew where I was going..."

"Yeah," Iris said, nodding in understanding. "This is a small city, but not many of us know it well..."

Suddenly, Zero had a great idea, and looked down at Darren. "Darren, you've lived here a while," he said. "Why don't you show Roll around the carnival?"

Darren looked up at him in surprise. "...What?" he asked.

He motioned to Roll, who was smiling happily at the suggestion. "She obviously needs a guide," he said. "Go on; we'll be fine."

"Really?" Darren asked, looking between the cheerful Roll and the depressed Iris. "But..."

"Yeah! Come on, Darren!" Roll laughed, grabbing Darren by the arm and dragging him off into the crowd. "This is gonna be fun!"

Darren struggled to free himself, but he quickly realized that it was a futile gesture. "Ugh... OK, uh... See you later, Iris! Bye, Zero!" he called as he vanished.

Zero gave a smug smile, then turned to Iris. The threat was gone; now how was he going to cheer her up? "...I really don't know my way around here," he ventured. "Would you like to show me around?"

Iris looked at him and sighed. "I've been around a few places, but I don't know much about this city, either," she said.

Zero hesitated, then slowly put his hand on her shoulder. "...Then how about we explore together?" he asked.

His hand felt warm, despite the layers of winter clothes between them. She looked up at him, smiled faintly and nodded. "...I'd like that," she replied.

Zero tried to smile at her, but she still looked sad... just like when he had fought Colonel. He sighed, then gave her shoulder a soft pat. "...OK," he said, pointing off to the left. "Let's try over there."

Iris nodded and they slowly walked into the bright, happy festivities.

* * *

"I wonder just what Dr. Thompson has planned for this carnival?" Smith asked as X, Sharon and he walked towards the sculpture contest's tent. "She must have been busy reviving plenty of Reploids if she could sponsor some..."

X scratched his chin. "What sorts of Reploids would be good for a winter carnival?" he asked.

Sharon's stomach grumbled beneath her hard, metal armor. "I'll tell you what Reploid WOULDN'T be good," she grumbled. "A hungry one! I've gotta go get some curdage. I'll meet you guys later." With that, she turned and clunked off towards the cheese curd stand. X shrugged and followed the professor into the tent.

It was very warm in the green enclosure. A large heat lamp sat in the middle of the ground, giving soothing warmth to all those inside. Dr. Emma Thompson, the renowned robotologist who usually worked in Australia, sat before it with a cup of steaming hot chocolate. A large Reploid stood behind her, rummaging through some paperwork, his figure hidden by shadows.

"Dr. Thompson, I presume," Smith joked as he grinned at her.

The doctor looked up and smiled. "Ross! Good to see you!" she laughed. "I knew you'd turn up sooner or later."

"Well, how could I resist seeing my old pal when she comes to call?" he replied, shaking her hand warmly.

Thompson nodded, but then sighed crossly. "Oh, I'm calling, all right..." she said. "I'm calling this place a godforsaken, frozen wasteland. I don't know how you can stand it up here!"

Smith laughed. "You've spent too much time in the sun, then," he said. "So, why did you decide to sponsor the carnival?"

X looked at the shadowy Reploid with curiosity. The thing had not turned itself towards them yet, and simply kept looking at its paperwork. Still, something about the figure was familiar to him.

"I just wanted to show the benefits of the fail-safe program we built together," Thompson said. "It was your idea, originally..." She paused and laughed. "You never did tell us why, though," she joked, rubbing her chin.

Smith gave an uncomfortable chuckle and glanced away. "Well, does it really matter?" he asked.

"...Nahh, I guess not," Thompson replied, shaking her head. "Anyway, thanks to that, I got three Reploids up and running, and they're all here at the carnival!"

X finally decided to see where he knew this strange figure from. He walked up and tapped the Reploid on the shoulder. "Excuse me," he said.

The immense figure turned and looked at him, and X's mouth dropped. The Reploid was about twice as tall as X with light-blue skin and magenta armor. Cold air shot from his nostrils when he breathed. He looked intimidating, but when he saw X, his eyes lit up with joy.

"Well!..." he said in a low, rumbling voice. "Hello, X. It's been a while."

Dr. Thompson and Professor Smith turned. "Ah, I see you've met one of them," Thompson said. "Professor Smith, X, this is Blizzard Buffalo."

Smith got up and shook Buffalo's tremendous hand, which X noticed were covered in several layers of greasy bandages. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Buffalo," he said. "I take it you know X?"

"Yes, I do," Buffalo replied with a slow nod. "We met in Dopplertown, a long time ago."

He turned back to X, who was still standing there, dumbfounded. He grinned again cheerfully. "Is it really that much of a surprise?" he asked.

X snapped out of his shock and shook his head. "I... No... I mean, yes, but... Wow," was all he could manage.

Thompson chuckled and slapped Buffalo on the back. "Yeah, he was in pretty bad shape when I dug him up... I had to stick him back together piece by piece, and even had to replace some parts..." She pantomimed wiping her brow. "Now I know how all the king's horses and all the king's men felt!"

"Well, good job!" Smith congratulated her. "It looks like you did very well."

X motioned to Buffalo's bandaged hands. "Uh... Why do you have those on, Buffalo?" he asked.

Buffalo looked down at his hands. "Ah, yes..." he said with a hint of sadness. "The Doctor couldn't restore my artist's tools; my hands are too broken."

"Hey, now, I didn't say I couldn't," Thompson corrected him, "I just said it would take a while for me to create new hands that had as much dexterity as your old ones." She paused and looked at Smith. "That's one reason I came up here; I was hoping you could help me with that."

"Oh, me?" Smith asked, scratching his head. "Well, I don't really have a head for weapons... but I know Darren does! After the carnival, let's go and talk to him."

"Thank you, Professor," Buffalo said, smiling and turning back to X. "Though I cannot create sculptures of my own, I can still participate in the contest; I am one of the judges."

"Oh?" X asked, glad that Buffalo had not lost his enjoyment of life along with his skill. "That's great!"

Thompson chuckled and winked. "Yeah, and hopefully, my entry will be a big winner, too!"

"Entry?" Smith asked. "But Buffalo just said..."

"I'm not talking about Buffalo," Thompson said, motioning for them to step outside of the tent. "I actually have you to thank for this one, Ross."

She pointed at the large sculpture area, where several prospective human and Reploid ice sculptors were chipping away at large blocks of frozen water. One of them, however, wasn't using chisels or saws; he was stabbing and slicing away at the ice with his long, shining claws.

"Hey, Slash!" Thompson yelled, waving at him. "How's it going?"

The wild-looking Slash Man looked up at them, gave a shrill laugh and waved, and went back to mutilating his ice block.

X recognized him immediately. "Hey! We found him in Wily's old fortress!" he said.

"Yeah, and you sent him to me," Thompson finished. "I fixed him up and got him going."

Smith looked at Slash Man closely. "...You haven't changed him into a Reploid?" he asked.

"I don't have the technology for that at my lab," Thompson replied. "However, I did rewrite most of Wily's code, so he won't attack anybody out of the blue. All he's interested in chopping is that ice."

"That's pretty cool," X agreed. "Well, I hope he does well in the contest."

"Yeah," Smith said, then turned to Thompson. "Emma, could we talk a bit more inside? There's something I need to discuss with you..."

Thompson nodded, and started inside the tent. "Professor?" X asked with curiosity.

"I'll be along later, X," Smith told the Reploid. "Why don't you go find Sharon and enjoy the carnival for a while?" With that, he turned and walked into the tent.

Buffalo turned to X. "I have to go and get ready for the judging," he said. "I hope I can see you later." He lumbered away, massaging his hands as if he was reminiscing of times when he could use them to create his own unique artwork.

X watched him go and sighed. He was glad to see Blizzard Buffalo again after all these years, but the big guy was more hurt than he let on about his hands. After a moment, he turned and started towards the snack area in search of his clunky friend. "Well, I'm sure Darren can help him," he said to himself. "I mean, he built Iris a Buster in just moments... Now, where did that Sharon get to?..."

* * *

The bright carnival lights all seemed to dance merrily as Iris and Zero walked through the park, no clear destination in their minds. Iris watched kids run by with laughter spouting from their cotton-candy-coated mouths, determined boyfriends playing the impossible carnival games to try to win stuffed toy prizes for their sweeties, and older couples just sitting on benches, enjoying each other's company. It all looked picture perfect... except for Zero and she, it seemed; their mood did not fit in with the gaiety.

"Hmm..." Zero mumbled as he looked around. "This whole winter carnival may be strange, but the people are enjoying it... I guess things don't need to make sense to be fun, eh?"

Iris glanced up at him, shaken from her thoughts. "Huh?" she asked. "Oh... Oh, yes..."

She paused, then looked back the other way. It was nice that Zero wanted to keep her company while the others were busy, but she still felt awful about how she had treated him. She had definitely overreacted when he had spoken up about his suspicions; she had felt as angry at him as she had the first time, so many years ago. She had suddenly felt an unexplainable, uncontrollable anger at negative actions toward her brother, and it was so powerful that she had forgotten herself and lashed out. That was what had spelled her doom in 21XX. This time, though, Zero did not retaliate. She had bawled him out, and had even given him a bloody nose, and he had just stood there, taking it quietly.

She moved to avoid a person walking the other way and bumped into the Hunter. "Woah!" he said, gently nudging her back. When she looked at him, he gave her a sympathetic smile. "You don't have to leap out of people's ways."

She sighed and went back to her thoughts. She was worried what everyone thought of her, but Zero was the most prominent in her mind. In the past few months that she had been alive again, she had done so much for him; she had taken up combat to find him, searched for a cure for his virus, and even rescued him from Dr. Ribosome. Still, despite all of this, she still felt guilty for what she had put him through during the Repliforce affair, and he seemed to sense it. He was quiet and distant from her; not as distant as from the others, but not friendly, either. Even now, as they walked, he said nothing. Another sigh escaped her, and she looked up at the falling snow. Would he ever understand that she was sorry, and she just wanted things to be normal again?

"...Are you hungry?" Zero asked, motioning to a nearby booth. "There's a banana bread stand... that sounds kind of good."

The mention of banana bread made Iris's stomach churn. "Err... no thanks," she said, shaking her head. "I'm... not hungry."

Zero gave her a concerned look, but said nothing else. His own mind was flooded with thoughts as well, mostly about what had happened lately between Iris and him: his confrontation in the mine with Rose, Iris's anger when he told her about his suspicions, and the battle against Colonel and Flame Stag. In each case, he had witnessed new emotions in Iris, and he had seen her fight as hard and as violently as X or himself. It was almost as if, in some respects, Iris had become a different person than the one he had known.

Zero himself was not entirely bothered by this. In fact, he liked that she was making new friends, and learning to protect herself. However, he also knew that changes were not always good. Humans always said that, as they became adults, they "outgrew" things that children liked to do, such as climbing trees or building snow forts. Zero looked at Iris again, and a troublesome thought drifted into his mind. Iris could fight, and she had lots of friends, some of which she trusted immensely, like Darren; had Iris "outgrown" him? He still cared for her more than anyone else, but he was uncertain if the feeling was mutual now. Did she still need him around?... Or, more importantly, did she still want him around?

A pang of fear shot through him as this thought came upon him. If Iris had decided that he was not a friend that she wanted anymore, he did not know what he would do... He wanted to ask her, but how could he word such a stabbing question? He scratched at the back of his head, then looked at her. "...Iris," he said.

Iris looked up at him. "Yes?" she asked quietly.

Zero looked at the ground, then back at her, trying to say something. "Well... That is... Err..." he stammered, suddenly unsure whether to continue. Sweat actually began to appear on his brow.

She was surprised; he had never broken a sweat when in combat. Was something wrong with him? "Are you OK?" she asked, taking off her glove and putting her hand on his forehead. "You don't look well."

Zero gently removed her hand. "I'm fine, really," he said, "but... I have to ask you something..."

Her cheeks turned pink. What was he going to say?

Zero took a deep breath and looked right at her. "Iris..." he started, "have you-"

Just then, a loud peal of shrill, happy laughter rang through the carnival, effectively killing Zero's nerve. They both looked up as a large Reploid shot out of a nearby game tent and spun towards them, spinning on tiptoe like a demented ballerina. "Around and around! Ah ha haaa!" he laughed merrily as he spun.

Iris looked at it with confusion. "What the...?" she started.

Zero knew exactly who it was. In an instant he was in front of Iris with his arm guarding her. "Stop right there!" he growled.

"Ah ha haaa!" the Reploid laughed as he spun to a halt, and Iris actually got a good look at him. He was a tall, orange Reploid with a green, dunce-cap-shaped hat and a cherry-red nose. His arms, which were disconnected from the rest of him, hovered at his sides. He smiled cheerfully at the two. "Well, well! It's-a meester Zero! Long time no see, ya?!"

Zero balled his fists; without his Z-Saber, things could get ugly. "Stand back, Iris," he muttered.

Sensing the threat, the strange Reploid held up his hands in mock surrender. "No, no, meester Zero! I'm-a not doin' that no more, ya? Please, I mean-a you no harm!" he laughed.

Iris stared at the two curiously. "...Zero, do you know him?" she finally asked.

The Reploid nodded energetically. "Oh, yes, yes! I meet meester Zero when I work for Red Alert way-a back when. Now I just work games at carnivals, like-a Dr. Thompson says, ya?"

"...He's a Maverick," Zero finally said. "I... brought him in... in 21XX."

"Oh, please, please," the Reploid said. "Dr. Thompson fixed-a me up with some-a new chip. I'm-a no Maverick no more, ya?"

Iris slowly nodded in understanding. "Dr. Thompson fixed you?" she asked.

"Iris..." Zero warned; the name was unfamiliar to him.

"No, it's OK," she said, motioning for him to calm down. "I've met Dr. Thompson before; she's a friend of the Professor's." She turned to the Reploid. "So she asked you to work the games?" she asked.

"She did, she did!" the Reploid laughed, spinning around. "I so happy now! Ah ha haaa!" He paused, then offered his hand. "You be Iris, hmm? Dr. Thompson tell-a me all about you!"

Iris hesitated; if Zero had met this guy before, then he could still be a Maverick. Still, she remembered how nice Dr. Thompson had been, and decided to trust her gut. She extended her own hand, and they shook. "...Nice to meet you," she said.

Zero, who had been watching suspiciously, relaxed when he saw that Tonion was not pulling any tricks. "Well..." he said. "If Iris believes you... then I do, too."

"Oh, that's so good!" the Reploid said. "I make new friends today! Wheee!" He spun around again to show his delight.

Iris scratched her chin. "But, uh, why are you running Winter Carnival games?" she asked. "I thought pumpkins were more of an autumn thing."

The Reploid stumbled, and fell on his face. "Pumpkin?!" he asked with mock anger. "No, no, no! I'm-a no pumpkin!"

Iris blinked. "You aren't?" she asked. "Then...?"

The Reploid chuckled. "Oh, silly, silly me! I forget name, ya?" He spun around and gave a goofy curtsy. "Tornado Tonion, at your service!"

Iris was more confused than before. "...What's a 'tonion?'" she asked.

Tonion fell over again. Zero shook his head. "It's 'onion' with a T," he answered. "It's to complement the first part of his name, 'Tornado.'"

Iris hesitated, then her eyes lit up. "Oh! OK, I understand now!" she announced. "Sorry about that, Mr. Tonion."

"Ohhh, is OK, is OK!" Tonion said as he got back on his feet. "Lots make same mistake, ya?"

Zero folded his arms and eyed Tonion. "So, if you're working games... why did you come out here?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be at your booth?"

Tonion chuckled. "Yes, I guess I should," he admitted, "but I see you come this way, and you look so, so sad! I think you need cheering up, ya?" He paused, then spun around again. "Come! I show you fun game! You be smilin' again in no time, I guarantee! Ah ha haaa!"

Iris paused, then sighed. "That's really nice of you, Mr. Tonion, but the fact is, I don't really feel like being cheered up just now..."

Zero hesitated; maybe if he got Iris interested in this, he could spend some time doing something with her besides moping. He stepped up and glanced at her. "That does sound interesting," he said. "I think I might want to try it... How about it?"

Iris glanced at him. He actually wanted to do something fun with her, even after what had happened? She did not feel it, but she certainly did not want to make him feel any worse... Besides, it might actually be enjoyable. She gave a shy smile, then nodded. "...OK," she replied. "Why not?"

Zero smiled back.

"Wheee hee heee!" Tonion laughed, spinning around again. "OK, we all go in tent, ya? And since meester Zero is old friend, you play for free!" He whirled around and spun back into the tent.

"Well, we certainly can't turn THAT down, can we?" Zero asked, walking towards the shelter.

Iris blushed, then ran after him. "No, we can't!" she agreed.

They walked into the tent and saw Tonion called "the game." There were three targets on the far wall; two were red, but the center one was blue. The only other thing in the tent was a small booth with plenty of stuffed toys and other carnival presents.

Tonion laughed. "Well? You like?" he asked.

Zero scratched his head, baffled. "Maybe I would... if I knew what it was," he said.

"Are we supposed to hit those?" Iris asked, pointing at the targets.

"Ya, ya!" Tonion replied. "Hit targets, win points! Win enough points, win prize! Simple, simple!"

Zero looked around, unconvinced. "With what?" he asked. "I don't see any balls or darts..."

Tonion chuckled, then produced two whiffle bats. "Use these to hit into target," he said.

Iris held the bat up and swung it a few times. It was a good bat, but she still did not see what to use it for. "Hit?" she asked. "Hit what?"

Tonion laughed again. "Easy!" he said, whirling around furiously. "Hit meeeeee!!!"

He spun around and around in front of them, laughing cheerfully. Zero and Iris exchanged glances. "...Well?" Zero asked.

Iris looked at the bat again, then at Tonion. "Well, he did ask for it!" she said, winding up and smacking him with the bat. Tonion flew backwards, crashed into the left-hand red target, and fell on his face. A small scoreboard came down from the ceiling, displaying the number "10."

"Ten points!" Tonion said. "Red is 10, blue is 50! 1,000 points wins cute stuffed prize!" He got up and started spinning again. "Come, come! Is fun, ya?!"

Zero chuckled, then raised his bat. "He's right... that DID look like fun." He looked at Iris. "Ready to rack up some points?"

Iris gave him a genuine smile, and raised her bat. "Let's!" she cheered.

* * *

"Oh, yeah!" Sharon laughed as she walked back towards the sculpture area, a large-sized pack of steaming cheese curds in her hand. She grabbed one and popped it into her mouth, licking her lips at the greasy, gooey goodness. "Now THIS is what a carnival's all about! Freezing, fun, and fatty, funky food!"

As she arrived at the sculpture area, she noticed X standing on the side of the fence, watching the sculptors carve their ice blocks. She whistled to get his attention and joined him. "Hey, blue! Whaddup?" she asked cheerfully.

X smiled. "Well, you look happy," he remarked. "Are cheese curds really all that?"

"You know it," she cackled, cramming another one into her craw. "All that and more! So, what're you up to?"

"Just watching the sculptors," X said. He pointed at Blizzard Buffalo, who was over on the sidelines, rubbing his broken hands and observing the artists at work with a hint of longing in his eyes. "An old friend of mine is one of the judges."

Sharon looked at him, then back at X. "Friend, huh?" she asked, guessing at what X really meant. "Well, that's cool."

X looked around. "I'm also interested to see just what wins here. All of them look good to me."

Sharon glanced at the icy figures and laughed, then grabbed another curd. "Ahh, it might be 'cuz I'm a fire type, but the only good-lookin' thing to me is in my hands already!" She opened her mouth and flicked the curd into the air, ready to catch it.

Suddenly, a cold, hard object smacked her across the face and knocked her to the ground. "Aghh!!!" she cursed as she thrashed around, trying to get the cold object off of her, but it was breaking into pieces and sliding down her already chilly spare armor.

X helped her to her feet and moved to brush her off, but she pushed him away. "I can do that myself," she grumbled as she gave herself a good shake. "What hit me?!"

"A big chunk of ice," X replied. "It came off one of the sculptors' blocks."

There was a shrill, crazy laugh. X and Sharon looked up and saw Slash Man standing by his ice block, laughing and pointing at them. "Heh heh heh!" he chortled. "Hey, Sir Junkalot! Watch where you're standin'!"

Sharon went red with anger, and started towards the fence. X grabbed her arms and tried to restrain her, but she struggled. "Oh, you!!!" she snarled. "Come over here and say that!"

Slash Man sneered. Thompson may have reprogrammed his violent tendencies, but his attitude was intact. "Oh, you're a chick?!" he asked. "Hah! I couldn't tell! Ya must be too ugly!"

Sharon cursed loudly and tried to lunge at him, but X kept his grip. "Come on, Sharon!" he huffed. "Let it go! Let it go!"

Sharon fumed for a few moments more, then relaxed her muscles. X let go with a relieved sigh. "Whew... Thank goodness," he said.

Sharon shook her head. "Ahh, forget it," she grumbled as she started to walk away. "I'm not gonna let someone spoil my day, especially when I have-" She stopped dead, her jaw locked up, and her eyes bulged with fury.

"What? What is it...?" X started, but then saw what had infuriated her. Her wonderful little pack of cheese curds had been knocked from her hand by the ice and was smashed into the ground, its salty, fried contents strewn about in the frozen dirt. Someone had even stepped on a few already.

Her left eye twitched.

X took a few steps back. "Uh, Sharon, I-" he began.

With a shriek, she vaulted over the fence and charged straight at Slash Man, her fists clenched furiously. "AAAAGGHHHH!!!" she screamed, getting ready to give the Wily bot an uppercut he would never forget. "THOSE WERE FRESH OUT OF THE FRYER!!!" She raised her fist and threw it at the still-sneering Slash Man.

Suddenly, her knuckle was caught in something hard and cold. Her red vision disappeared, and she looked up to see Blizzard Buffalo standing between Slash Man and her. For a moment, she was confused, then she got angry again. "Outta the way, jack!" she growled. "He's got this comin' to 'im!"

Buffalo shook his head. "I'm sorry, but there can be no violence inside the sculpture area," he said. "You might break someone's artwork."

Sharon paused and looked around; all of the sculptors were watching her nervously, fearing that his or her piece of art would be the one that the crazy woman destroyed. She grumbled crossly, then lowered her fist. Everyone sighed with relief.

"Now, please, we have to go on with the contest," Buffalo said, beginning to turn away.

"That bastard killed my curds!" Sharon snapped, pointing at Slash Man, who smiled angelically. "You don't expect me to let 'im get away with it, do ya?!"

Buffalo paused, then turned back with an sly grin. "Perhaps there is a way..." he said.

Sharon smiled. "You'll let me kick his ass?" she asked.

"In a way," Buffalo said. He took in a deep breath, then exhaled sharply. A blast of cold air shot out of his nose and formed a giant ice block before him. "I shall let you join the sculpture contest. If yours is the best, you shall win."

Sharon gave him an irritated look, then glanced at Slash Man, who was sneering at her again. She turned back to the ice chunk and sighed. It might not be as rewarding as wiping the floor with the little runt, but besting him in a sculpting contest was better than nothing. Besides, how could she lose with her fire powers?

She sighed, then nodded. "OK, big guy, you've got yourself a deal," she said.

"Wonderful," Buffalo said, smiling happily. "The contest ends at five o'clock sharp. You have an hour. Good luck." With that, he turned and lumbered back to his spot with the other judges.

Sharon sighed, looked at the block, and considered what she could sculpt that would wow the crowd. Suddenly, her train of thought was derailed by another laugh from Slash Man. "Hah! It took the rest of us six hours to get this far!" he said, motioning to his own sculpture of a rigid, blocky tyrannosaurus rex. "What can YOU do in an hour?!"

Sharon gave him an evil grin, then ignited her fist; the stunned look on his face made her glad that Darren's armor still let her use her fire. "...Plenty," she replied in an insane whisper.

"Oh, boy," X sighed from the sidelines. "This ought to be interesting..."

* * *

With another giggling yell, Tornado Tonion sailed backwards and crashed into the right-hand red target. The scoreboard's number changed from 190 to 200. "Whoo! Keep it up, friends!" Tonion said as he got up and began spinning again. "We having fun now, ya?!"

Iris sighed crossly. Every time she had hit the spinning Reploid with her whiffle bat, he had either hit nothing, or a red target. She wasn't sure why she was not hitting the blue target; she was attacking him with the same kind of swipes she used in combat. What was she doing wrong?

Zero glanced over at her and noticed her frustration. If Iris got mad, she might want to quit, and that would be the end of this time they were spending together. Trying to keep the good times rolling, he cleared his throat. "Iris, if I can say something," he spoke up, "you're swinging hard enough, but you need better technique."

Iris paused. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"You always hit him with only one hand, and in the center of your bat," Zero explained. "When the middle of your bat connects, he's going to fly off in the direction you're sending the most force towards. You always swing to the right, so he always goes right."

Iris paused, and looked at her bat with confusion. Usually, with her I-Saber, the enemies were instantly cut in half and did not move; she had never taken physics into account. Now that it was a solid weapon, though, she probably had to if she wanted to get the most out of it. "So..." she said, "what should I do?"

"First of all, use both hands, and look where you want it to go," Zero said, taking hold of the whiffle bat as if he were a professional ball player. "And make sure you're swinging with most of your force towards that spot, like this..." He motioned for Tonion to come at him.

"OK, here we go! Ho ho hooo!!!" Tonion laughed as he spun towards Zero. Zero's eyes locked onto the blue target, he pulled the weapon back, and swung. He hit Tonion with the farthest point of his bat, and the onion crashed dead-center on the target. The scoreboard went from 200 to 250.

Zero turned back to Iris and nodded. "See?" he asked. "It takes some practice, but you can do it."

Iris thought about it for a moment, then nodded in understanding. "Ah... OK! I get it now," she replied, gripping her bat with both hands instead of just one. "Let's keep it going!"

Tonion got up and whirled towards her. As he closed in, she focused on the blue target behind him, pulled the bat back, and then let fly. She hit Tonion with the end of her bat, and he sailed backwards with a laugh. He bumped into the blue target's farthest edge, but it still counted, and the scoreboard read 300.

"Yeah, that's the way," Zero said with a smile, becoming relaxed again. "Just remember that, and we'll rack up the points in no time!"

Iris smiled at him. For the first time in a while, he looked genuinely happy; maybe she did not have as much to worry about as she had thought.

This, however, was not the time to sit and think. Tornado got to his feet and started spinning towards them again. Iris hopped forward, locked onto the blue target and swung again. This time, she hit a bull's eye; Tonion crashed into the absolute middle. The scoreboard read 350. "Woo hoo hoo! You getting better, hmm? Great!" he laughed.

Zero pumped his fist energetically. "That's how it's done!" he declared.

Iris looked at him and laughed happily. "All right, on we go!" she said, readying her bat again.

Tonion got back up and slapped his belly cheerfully. "OK, now we make-a this a little tougher!" he declared, whirling around even faster.

"No worries," Zero said, grinning. "We can handle that."

Iris nodded in agreement. To demonstrate, she swung and knocked Tonion back into the blue target again, making the scoreboard jump to 400.

It went on like this for some time; Tonion got back up and kept spinning, and Iris and Zero kept knocking him into the blue target. With each swing, both Iris's aim and her mood became better. She was working up a heavy sweat in her thick, winter clothes, but she did not care. Zero was acting like the kind, strong Reploid that she knew, and she was certain that her friends shared his view. Everything was going to be just fine.

Zero was enjoying himself, too; he was having more fun now than he had in years, especially because he could see that Iris was happy. Maybe, in time, everything could go back to the way it had been before.

As Tonion spun, Zero glanced at Iris and grinned. "Can you do this?" he asked, holding his bat like a golf club and swinging. Tonion sailed through the air and crashed into the target again.

"Sure!" Iris replied, repeating the technique as Tonion spun at her, and again hit the blue circle.

Zero pulled off a number of hitting techniques, and Iris copied each of them almost perfectly. Both of them were soaked with sweat now, and laughing on a whim. Tonion, despite the beating he was receiving, was also laughing merrily.

"This so good!" Tonion laughed as he whirled around. "950 points! One more blue hit and you win, ya! Around and arouuuund!!!"

Zero chuckled and raised his bat. "Heh... Hey, Iris, see if you can do THIS one!" he cried.

He pulled the bat back and released a three-hit combo; the first blow hit Tonion's head and stopped him dead, the second hit his side and sent him spinning in the opposite direction, and the third hit him so hard that the crack of the bat echoed inside the tent. Tonion roared backwards, smashed into the target and kept going, and put an onion-shaped hole in the tent. The scoreboard reached 1,000 points, and then promptly fell down.

Iris lowered her bat and looked at the hole; Tonion stumbled back in through it, looking extremely dizzy. She glanced at Zero, shook her head and laughed. "Sorry, Zero, but I think he's had enough," she remarked.

"Y... Yay," Tonion panted, staggering around the room. "You got-a the thousand points, ya! P-pick out cutesy, happy toy for such fun, fun time! Ah ha ha!... Oogh." He winced, and then rubbed his back.

Iris and Zero set down their bats and walked over to the display, where there were several dozen types of stuffed figures, ranging from cats to bunnies to even some replicas. "Wow... There are a lot of them," Iris remarked, looking at them. "Which one should we get, Zero?"

Zero shrugged, then decided to be extra nice. "You choose," he said.

Iris smiled and went back to looking. Suddenly, her eyes fell upon something amazing. On one of the lower shelves sat a cuddly, stuffed replica of Zero, clad in his red armor with his golden hair flowing out of the back of his helmet. At first, she wondered why there would be a toy of him, but then she remembered that it was 22XX; the pastel-colored heroes of a war 100 years ago probably had become a great franchise for the toy companies.

She grinned and pointed at it. "I'll take that one, please," she said to Tonion.

"Ah, you make good choice!" Tonion laughed as he pulled out a key, opened the display and handed the plush figure to her with a grin. "But I not need tell YOU that, ya? Ha ha ha!"

Iris looked the doll over with a happy smile. Zero looked at it and raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't look at all like me," he said.

Iris chuckled. "Oh, sure it does!" she said, giving the doll a little squeeze.

"The eyes are too big," Zero pointed out.

"So the artist took some creative license," Iris replied. "I think it's wonderful!" She turned to Tornado Tonion and nodded. "Thank you so much, Mr. Tonion. I feel a lot better now."

Tonion laughed. "Ah ha ha! No problem, no problem! I so happy you have fun! You come back again when you feeling bad, ya? I always try to make happy!"

"Thanks," Zero added, then glanced outside of the tent; the snow was still falling gently, but the gray sky had darkened to a more bluish hue. "Woah, it's getting late," he remarked. "If we want to see more of the carnival, we should keep moving."

"OK," Iris said, adjusting her coat and clutching the doll. "I guess we keep going the same way."

They stepped out of the tent and started down the walkway again. They both turned back and waved to Tonion, who stood at the entrance, waving. "Thanks again, Mr. Tonion!" Iris called. "See you again sometime!"

"Bye bye, kiddies!" Tonion laughed as they disappeared into the crowd. "You have fun, ya? Ah ha ha... ha..."

With that, he groaned and promptly collapsed to the ground, aching in places he did not even know that he had.

* * *

"Ten minutes remain," Blizzard Buffalo announced the the ice sculpture contestants. "Finish up whatever you have."

Sharon's teeth ground furiously as she stared at her still formless block of ice. She had spent the last fifty minutes thinking of what she could make, but when she thought of how to do it, she realized that it would never hold up as a statue. She was running out of ideas, and watching the other sculptors churning out their art did not help; there were little castles, creatures, vehicles, and even some Reploids; one plucky girl had even carved a statue of X. Sharon looked at her shapeless mass and cringed. What could she possibly do in ten minutes?

"Come on, Sharon!" X called from the sidelines. "You can do it!" Dozens more spectators had also gathered at the fence, too, anxious to see what the junky-armored girl could do with practically no time at all.

Slash Man laughed at her. "Give it up, toots!" he said. "You ain't got the moves to sculpt with the big boys!"

Sharon fumed at him as she looked at his sculpture. His T-rex looked more realistic than before, despite some abstractions. Still, she was not going to give him any satisfaction. "I'll show you!" she huffed. "I'll make the coolest sculpture here!"

Slash Man grabbed some snow and mushed it into a ball, then pitched it right in her face. "There! That oughta help with the coolin'!" he snickered.

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Sharon gave a ballistic shriek, and her whole arms went up in flames. Still, she remembered Buffalo's warning against using violence, and instead of attacking Slash Man, whirled around and threw herself at the ice block, weaving a tapestry of obscenity and punching away, her junky armor glowing red from the heat. A gigantic cloud of steam rose up and covered the area as her fiery blows knocked off gob after gob of frozen water.

X could not see at all through the haze. From the sounds that Sharon was making, he could only speculate that she was carving fast and furiously. Assuming that, he grinned and pumped his fist. "Yeah, Sharon!" he called. "That's the spirit!"

When the steam dissipated, Sharon stood gasping and wheezing, and teetering to keep her balance. Her fists were put out, but her armor was still intact; Darren had made sure to fireproof it.

"Ugh..." she growled. "...Whew... That was a good workout..."

Suddenly, she became aware of a loud cheering. She looked up and saw the huge crowd that had formed behind X, all cheering for her. At first she was confused, but then X pointed at her ice block. She looked at it and her mouth dropped open.

Where once a formless mass had lay, there now stood a life-size sculpture of Frances G. Peabody, her boss. His frozen eyes scowled furiously, his mouth was in an open snarl, exposing his pearly-white teeth, and his hands were clenched in a fit of rage. There was even a throbbing vein on his balding forehead.

"What the?!" Slash Man roared. "NO!!!"

Sharon stared at it for a long time, completely stunned. "...I... made that?!" she asked, looking down at her hands. "But I..."

"Time is up!" Blizzard Buffalo announced, signaling to the other two judges. "The judging will now begin."

The judges looked over each sculpture, made some remarks, and wrote down notes on their clipboards. Blizzard After the other two had gone past, Buffalo approached Sharon's sculpture. "Well, I see you got your anger out," he remarked.

"Heh..." Sharon chuckled, scratching her head. "I guess I did."

Buffalo looked over at the Peabody statue. He had only looked at it for five seconds when he let out a long gasp. "This..." he started.

"...Are you all right?" Sharon asked.

"I am better than all right," Buffalo said, gently running his hands over the figure. "This... This is the most lifelike sculpture I have ever seen! It takes me back to my own sculpting days... But more importantly, you can FEEL it, too! The burning eyes, the stance, the tight muscles, the clenched knuckles... you can feel exactly how angry he is! It's as if he's going to leap up and throttle me right now!"

Sharon blinked. "...Is that a good thing?" she asked.

Buffalo nodded. "You have done very well," he said, writing down several notes on his clipboard. "I am glad that you were able to quell your rage. Please, wait around until we announce the winners." With that, he turned and kept moving.

Sharon watched him go and scratched her head. "Well, I guess he liked it," she concluded.

"Arrrgh!" Slash Man cursed from his sculpture. "You... You just got lucky!"

Sharon just stuck her tongue out at him.

Ten minutes later, the judges reconvened at the entrance to the area, where Blizzard Buffalo handed an envelope to Dr. Thompson. "The judges have made their decision!" she said. "Prizes will go to the first, second and third sculptures, respectively. Our third place winner is..." she paused, opened the envelope, and took out a card. "...Slash Man, for his Tyrannosaurus Rex!"

Slash Man angrily stomped his foot at only getting third place, but when the crowd cheered, he found that he really could not stay mad. He forced a smile and gave a sheepish wave.

"OK, second place is..." Thompson said, looking further down the card. "...Nora Wells, for her rendition of Mega Man X!"

The girl blushed and waved to the cheering crowd; she obviously had not expected to win such a title.

"All right, and the moment we've all been waiting for... Our first place winner is..." Thompson said, looking at the card again. "...The girl in the junky armor, for her sculpture of a very angry man!"

The crowd erupted into ecstatic cheers. Sharon was about to yell at Thompson for not knowing her name, but then realized that she had not officially signed up; of course the judges would not know! Her angry look negated, she nodded and waved to the crowd cheerfully.

"Congratulations," Blizzard Buffalo said, walking up to her with the microphone. "Oh, but can we have your name, please?"

Sharon chuckled and took the microphone. "It's Sharon," she said, "Sharon Doherty... and don't you all forget it!" She finished with a laugh.

"Very nice," Buffalo said, taking back the microphone and pressing a piece of paper into her hand. "Here is your prize. Good job. I sincerely mean it."

Sharon looked at the paper and her mouth dropped again; it was a check for $2,000. "Two thou..." she started, but could not finished; she was flabbergasted. "Th... thank you!"

The crowd cheered loudly again. X hopped over the fence and walked over to Sharon, who was still staring at the check. "That was amazing, Sharon!" he said. "How on earth did you do that?!"

Sharon looked at the sculpture, then back at the check. "I... I don't know!..." she admitted. "I had so many angry thoughts running through my head... I guess one of them just popped out."

X smiled. "Well, good work!" he said. "You could do this for a living some day!"

Sharon chuckled, and then looked out at the still-cheering crowd and waved again. "Thank you, thank you..." she said. "Oh, don't make such a fuss over me! I'm just-"

Suddenly, she saw something out of the corner of her eye that made her blood run cold. On the far side of the crowd, there was a stooped old man with long, black hair, and large, reflecting glasses, leering at her with a malicious grin. She only saw him for a moment, and when she turned towards him, he was gone. She just stood there, silently, staring at where he had been.

X noticed her sudden fear and looked concerned. "Sharon? Are you OK?" he asked.

Sharon swallowed hard, but then looked back at X with her usual grin. "Yeah, I'm good," she said. "Don't worry 'bout it!..."

X nodded in understanding, but Sharon turned and looked at the empty spot again. Could that have been who she had thought it was? She certainly hoped not.

* * *

"Oh, this is so much fun!" Roll laughed as she tramped through the snow among the vendors and games. "I love this place!"

Darren came up behind her, winded from all of her running around. "Whew..." he panted. "Yeah... It sure is... snowy," he remarked.

Roll turned and looked at him. "Oh, are you tired already?" she asked.

"Well, we've only been running helter-skelter for the last hour," Darren muttered. "I don't have the stamina I used to."

Roll giggled and patted him on the back. "That's because all you do it sit inside and work on stuff!" she said. "You have to exercise more!"

Darren nodded. "That might be a good idea," he agreed. "So... What do you want to do next?"

Roll paused and thought out loud. "Well, we've already people-watched, eaten cotton candy, had a snowball fight, eaten hot pretzels, seen the carnival museum, eaten hot dogs-"

"Ugh, don't remind me," Darren cut in, rubbing his stomach. "That might come up sour sooner or later... just a warning."

"Yeah, I didn't like them, either," Roll replied, then smiled again. "Being a Reploid is so cool!"

"Well, I'm glad you enjoy it," Darren said. "Uh... Can we try something not so energetic now?... Preferably not eating?"

Roll scratched her chin and looked around to for something simple to do. She liked hanging out with Darren, but she did not want to run him ragged. She was new in this futuristic world, and she wanted someone around that she felt comfortable with; that meant not wearing that someone into the ground on their first get-together.

Her eyes fell upon a colorful game stand. It looked like a typical carnival game; there were stacks of paint cans lined up behind the counter, and there were some balls on the counter, probably for knocking them down. Several types of stuffed toys sat in the back, prizes for performing the deed. She grinned; that looked easy enough, and there also was no line. "How about that?" she asked, pointing. "You don't even have to do it. I'll play and you can watch!"

Darren looked at the stand, then frowned with concern; he did not like the look of it. "Well," he started, "I guess we could, but..."

Roll laughed as she ran up to the stand, and her eyes fell upon a cute, pink, cat doll among the prizes; now she definitely wanted to play this game. "Excuse me," she said to the operator, who had his back turned.

The carny looked up. He was a wiry, hunched man with mutton-chop whiskers and bloodshot eyes. He smiled unpleasantly when he looked at her. "Well..." he rasped, "hello there, sweet thing."

"I'll play!" Roll said, fishing out her wallet. "How much you want?"

The man cackled. "How much you got?" he asked.

Roll dug a bill out of her wallet, and the man snatched it from her hand. "That'll do," he said, slamming a ruddy ball on the counter. "Knock 'em all down, and you can get somethin' nice."

"All right!" Roll said as Darren approached. "Sounds easy enough!"

Darren had watched the payment spectacle, and looked at her. "Roll, how much did you give him?" he asked.

"Well, I'm not really sure..." she admitted, "but it must have been right; he didn't give me any change."

Darren eyed the grubby carny suspiciously. Roll was a very bright girl, but she was a tad naive, especially since she had not known the world for over 200 years. "Hmm..." he said, simply decided to wait it out. "...Yeah..."

Roll picked up the first ball, lined herself up with the center stack of cans, took aim, and lobbed the ball at the bottom row. The ball hit it dead-center, then bounced off harmlessly. "...Wha?!" Roll asked in surprise.

"Huh," the carny said, making a face. "Tough break."

Roll sighed crossly. Why had the ball just bounced off of those cans? It was a heavy ball, and she had thrown it hard enough; they should have tumbled easily. Maybe it was just bad luck; she pulled out another bill. "I'll go again," she said.

The carny laughed and took the money, then gave her the same ball. Darren looked at her. "I don't think you should..." he started.

"Don't worry," Roll said, frowning at the cans. "I'll get it this time!"

She pulled her arm back, then let loose with a powerful hurl. The ball sailed towards the cans with menacing speed, then bounced off of them without incident, just like before.

"Awww," the carny crooned. "Bad lucky-poo."

"What?!" Roll asked, gaping at the untouched cans. "What happened?!"

Darren had watched both tosses, and now he knew what was going on. No wonder this stand had no line; the carny was a scam artist! He had to step in, or Roll would lose all of her money trying to knock down cans that simply would not go down.

"They're still there, girly girl," the carny said. "Wanna go again?"

Roll gave a cross snort, then reached for her wallet again.

"Hang on a sec," Darren said, raising his hand like a traffic cop signaling for traffic to stop. "I'll handle this." He turned to the carny with a frown. "How can I hit the cans with the ball?" he asked.

"Any way you want, kid," the carny replied with a chuckle. "Just show me the money."

Darren grinned, then gave the carny a bill. The carny picked the same ball off of the floor, then put it on the counter. "OK, hotshot, let's see you try," he sneered.

Darren reached into his jacket and pulled out his arm cannon; he had forgotten that it was in there until now, but it would be the perfect thing to expose this phony.

The carny's expression changed. "Hey..." he started.

"Woah!" Roll said. "Darren, what are you doing?"

"He said I could hit the cans with the ball any way I want," Darren said, eying the carny. "Didn't you?"

The carny tried to object, but the logic was sound. He grumbled and muttered, then sighed. "Fine!" he huffed, still wearing a mean grin. "Let's see if you're any good!"

Darren nodded, then slid the cannon on, and jammed the ball into the nozzle. He knew just how the carny was working his trick, and just what to use to counter it.

"Darren..." Roll started.

Darren set his ammo to LIGHTNING WEB and fired. A sparking, electric net engulfed the ball, and then the whole mess shot at the cans. Instead of bouncing off, though, they stuck to the cans instantly and stayed there.

Roll jumped. "Woah!" she gasped.

The carny's eyes bugged. "Wha?!" he snarled. "Why, you!!!"

"Your paint cans are charged," Darren explained with a smug grin, "and that ball has a magnet in it with the same kind of charge, so it's impossible to hit them... am I right?"

The carny ground his teeth angrily, flabbergasted by how the young man had tricked him. After a few minutes of fretting and cursing, he finally sighed. "...Whaddya want, kid?" he asked, hoping to make a deal.

"First, I want our money back," Darren said. "Secondly, I'll take..." he paused, then pointed at the cat doll in the corner. "...that one... for a prize."

The carny cursed under his breath, then handed Darren three bills and the toy. "OK, you won," he huffed. "Now get outta here."

Darren grinned and nodded. "Right," he said, "but if I were you, I'd start looking for another job."

The carny muttered something unpleasant, then turned away. Roll and Darren walked on down the path.

"That was so awesome!" Roll exclaimed. "You sure showed him!"

"I couldn't just stand by and let him make a fool of you," Darren said, pocketing his cannon and handing her money back. After a moment, he offered her the cat, too. "You wanted this, right?" he asked.

Roll laughed and accepted it, giving it a squeeze. "Thanks, Darren! You're the best!" she squealed.

Darren chuckled and blushed a bit. "Aww, go on," he said sheepishly.

Just then, a loud boom shot over the carnival. Darren and Roll looked up and saw a colorful, red fireworks explosion. Darren sighed with relief; lately explosions had been a bad thing, but he always enjoyed these kinds.

"Oh, that's pretty!" Roll said. "What's a carnival without fireworks?"

"Yeah..." Darren said, watching the sky burst with red, green, blue and golden flares. As he watched, his thoughts trailed back to Iris. He sure hoped that she was feeling better; he did not want to be enjoying himself too much when he knew that she was unhappy.

Roll seemed to sense his thoughts. "Are you still worried about Iris?" she asked.

Darren glanced at her with surprise. "Huh?" he asked. "Oh... Yeah, I am... She's been through a lot."

Roll nodded, and grew solemn for a moment. "I know... I don't think anyone could get over losing a brother... I know I couldn't..." she said. Then, she smiled at him again. "But you know what? If all of her other friends are as nice as you are, she'll be just fine!"

Darren looked at her, saw the sincerity in her eyes, and felt better. "Yeah... I guess you're right..." he said. "...No, I know you're right. Thanks, Roll."

Roll nodded. Just then, a chilly wind blew through the carnival, and she shuddered. "Brrr!" she said. "It's cold out here! Shall we go back to the museum?"

"In a minute," Darren said, looking up at the fireworks; with her friends' help, and Zero's, and his, Iris was going to be in good hands. That thought brought another smile to him. "Let's just enjoy this..."

Roll nodded, and turned her head skyward to watch the sparkling, heavenly performance.

* * *

"Mmm-mmm-MMM!" Sharon mumbled as she gulped down six cheese curds at once. She savored their artery-hardening flavor for a moment, then reached into her jumbo bucket and pulled out another handful. "I LOVE cheese curds!"

"We all see that," X remarked. He, Sharon, Professor Smith, Dr. Thompson, Slash Man and Blizzard Buffalo were all walking out of the carnival towards the museum, where hopefully they would rendezvous with Darren, and get him to look at Buffalo's hands. "What are you going to do with the rest of the prize money?"

"What was the name of that place?" Sharon asked. "Chummy Chase's Chompin' Good Cheese Curds? I think I'll look 'em up on Wall Street!"

"Ha ha ha," Buffalo laughed. "It's always good to enjoy the little things in life, isn't it?"

"You got it!" Sharon said, her mouth now full of curds. "Mmph... Wha you say yer name 'uz agin'? Bilzzard Buffalo?"

"Blizzard," X corrected her.

"Yeah," Sharon said, swallowing. "Hey, I'm sure Darren can fix you up! He's a whiz kid with weapons."

"I would be in your debt," Buffalo said, nodding.

"Heh!" Slash Man cackled. "Maybe while we're here, the prof can make me a Reploid, too!"

Smith chuckled awkwardly. "Well... We'll see..." he said warily. "Maybe I can teach Dr. Thompson how to-"

Just then, the sky lit up behind them with a colorful, red flash. "Oh, look!" Dr. Thompson said, looking up and pointing. "The fireworks show!"

Everyone stopped and looked up at the flashing display. "Beautiful..." X said quietly.

Sharon did not like to sound like a sissy, but she could not agree more. "Yeah..." she said. "...It is, ain't it?..."

* * *

"Wow..." Iris said as she watched the sky. Zero and she sat on a bench just outside Rice Park, watching the fireworks. "I hope everyone else is seeing these... They're so pretty..."

Zero looked at the sparkles, then back at Iris. "Yeah, they are..." he agreed. "Heh... Funny... I can't remember a time when I liked things exploding..."

There was an awkward pause between them. Both wanted to say something deep and emotional, but neither had the courage too. Finally, Iris sighed. "Zero..." she said.

Zero blushed in the darkness, and leaned over to listen. "...Yes?" he asked.

Iris squeezed her little toy Zero and looked at him with a shy smile. "Thanks... Thanks for coming with me today," she finally mustered.

Zero nodded slowly. "Any time," he said.

There was another long pause. "...Are you cold?" Iris finally asked.

Zero glanced at her, then back at the fireworks. "...A little," he admitted.

Iris hesitated, then scooted closer to him, their thighs touching slightly.

Zero reddened, but did not show it. "Thanks," he said.

Iris nodded in understanding, then turned back to watch the fireworks. They must have had the best spot; the pyrotechnics seemed to be going off right over them, as if the whole celebration was just for them.

* * *

One person at the carnival, though, was not watching the fireworks. The crooked carny who Darren had exposed stood on the roof of a nearby building, scowling at Iris and Zero through a set of binoculars. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a communicator, and turned it on. "This is Randall," he said.

"How are things?" Golgi's voice came from the other end.

"The Hunters're all at the carnival," Randall reported. "I don't think they'll be buggin' you for a bit."

"Wonderful," Golgi said sexily. "Come on back to base... It's time for the next part of the plan. Over and out."

The carny nodded, then disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

"The next part, hmm?" Agile asked as Golgi placed her communicator back in her cleavage. "Splendid!"

"Right," Golgi said, walking to a nearby computer terminal and hitting several buttons. A map of the world appeared, with three glowing points flashing, two in North America and the last in South America. "Here are the places where we can get what we need. I'll send the others to pick them up."

"Goodie!" Agile laughed as he sat back on his throne and sipped his wine. "Soon we'll have exactly what we need to pull this all off!"

As Agile laughed giddily, Golgi chuckled quietly to herself. "You mean, I'LL have exactly what I need..." she whispered.

* * *

"OK, that's it!" Bass growled as he threw a battered fire extinguisher against the wall. "That's the last damn straw!!!"

Despite all of his efforts, the safe which contained his buster still would not open. He had tried to pick the lock, break it open and even smash things against it, but nothing had worked; the safe did not even have a scratch.

"Arrgh!" Bass growled as he leered at the machine's button lock. "The only thing I haven't tried is random number-punching... and that's gonna take HOURS!" he complained, then reached for the buttons. "...Aww, hell! I don't have any other choices!"

Bass pressed 1 four times. The lock did not respond. He growled, then pressed 1 three times, then 2. Still, the lock did not respond. Bass gave an angry snarl, threw the process of elimination out the proverbial window, and started pushing random buttons. 7, 5, 2, 3. 8, 9, 0, 2. 8, 0, 0, 8. Nothing worked.

"Dammit all!!!" he growled, only patient enough for one more try. "OK, if I don't do it now, I'm giving up!"

Without any debate, he hit 4, then 1, then 2, then 6. The lock clicked, and the safe opened. His Forte Buster lay on the bottom shelf.

Bass's mouth dropped open, and he just stood there for a moment, flabbergasted. After a moment, though, he shrugged it off and grabbed the weapon. "Of COURSE I could do it!" he laughed. "There isn't a safe around that Bass can't crack!" He slid the Buster onto his arm and grinned wickedly. "Mega Man has no idea! I'll go up there right now and fight him! I'll show him who the strongest robot is!"

As he started back up the hall, the lights started flashing red, and an alarm buzzed loudly. Bass jumped; had the safe had a system he hadn't known about? "Wahh!" he gasped, and ran into the computer room.

He waited for the alarm to shut off, but it did not; in fact, it seemed to be emanating from the room that he was in, not the safe room. He paused for a moment, then looked up at the iMarc's screen. A map of the world was being displayed with three flashing dots, one in South America and two in North America. Again and again, the screen flashed the words WARNING! MAVERICKS DETECTED!

"...Mavericks?" Bass asked, reading the words over. He did not know much about them; just that Iris's prick of a brother had turned into one. Still, his interest was piqued. Smith had said that Mega Man was not ready to fight Mavericks yet, right? That must mean that they were stronger than the Blue Bomber... and if they were stronger, by his egotistical logic, that meant that defeating one would automatically make him stronger than Mega Man.

Bass hit some buttons and opened up a data file on one of the dots. The South America dot's file opened first, revealing its location: Ingapirca, Equador, at the site of some ancient Inca ruins.

"Ruins, huh?" Bass asked. "That's pretty accurate for me!" He patted up his Buster and hit the button that started the teleporter. "Who needs Mega Man? I'll score an easy win on this poor chump!"

With that, he ran down the hall towards the teleporter, the alarms still blaring in his ears. Even if it meant taking down a robot a hundred years more advanced than he was, it was time to show that blue runt who was the top dog.


	10. Scream Of The Wild

**CHAPTER 10**

**SCREAM OF THE WILD**

Bass felt as light as a feather, and then his nostrils filled with the exotic stench of a dark jungle. He opened his eyes and glanced around at his surroundings. The sun had set over Ecuador, but the air was still hot and muggy. The full moon floated overhead, gracing him with enough light to see. He stood in a dense, lush forest of trees with long leaves and strange fruit dangling from their branches. The chipper cries of nocturnal animals echoed all around him.

He was stunned as he took it all in; now that he was a Reploid, he noticed what his senses brought him much more than before. The jungle had a damp, muddy scent, as if it had just rained. A warm wind blew through the sticky air, easing the humidity for a moment. Forgetting his desire to fight, Bass took off his helmet and let the breeze blow his hair around. It felt pretty good.

He took a few steps around, looking at the shapes of the leaves and the odd fruits. In his previous life as a battle robot, he never would have "wasted" his time observing unimportant surroundings, but now he was interested in the fruit. It had such an odd, yellowish-gold color... Maybe it tasted good, too.

As he reached for one, though, he heard a sickening squelch, looked down and yelled angrily. Whatever animal had been eating at this tree before had not cleaned up after itself.

"Son of a!..."Bass growled as he hopped away from the spot, kicking his foot in different directions to dislodge the stuff. He was not watching where he was going, though, and his forehead met a low-hanging branch. He cursed even louder, rubbing the red spot.

"OK, that's it!" he huffed, slamming on his helmet and readying his Buster. "Get in, kick butt, get out! No more screwin' around!"

Through all of the foliage, he spotted one tiny glimmer of light; that Maverick could be hiding there, waiting for his challenge. With a cocky smirk and an itchy trigger finger, he made a beeline for it. Everyone would soon see who was the greatest robot, even after two hundred years.

As he got closer, he stopped and crouched in the underbrush. He was at the base of an ancient Mayan pyramid, its stones reaching high above the jungle canopy, looking dark and foreboding in the moonlight. The small light was coming from a single lantern in front of its gaping entrance, where two Reploid sentries dressed in weak-looking armor stood, gripping small guns. Both looked nervous, and even a little depressed.

Bass raised an eyebrow and grinned; this Maverick needed extras to fight? He must be an even bigger pansy than he had thought!

"I still don't get why we had to do this..." the first sentry said to the other. "Why do we have to work for Mavericks? They're bad news!"

"Shut it, Hodges," the second grumbled, a cigarette butt dangling from his lips. "If you want your paycheck, you don't ask questions. That's how this business works."

"Yeah?" Bass asked as he leaped out of the bushes with his Buster pointing right at them, "well, let me show you how MY business works!"

The second soldier grumbled crossly. "Great. Now we have to deal with the Hunters, too..." He raised his gun.

"C-come on, Thomas!" Hodges warned. "You know what happened to everyone else who messed with 'em! Let's run!"

Bass chuckled. "Smart kid," he said. "I've only got a beef with your boss, but if you insist... I could use some target practice."

"Thomas!" Hodges urged. "He's gonna kill us!"

"...And if we don't attack, Agile'll kill us anyway," Thomas reasoned. "We might as well-"

A shot from Bass knocked the gun clean out of his hands. "You might as well what?" Bass smirked.

Thomas growled with frustration. Hodges was paralyzed, too scared to move.

"You gonna run?" Bass asked, "or are we doin' this the FUN way?"

"Y-you're crazy!..." Hodges gasped, dropping his gun and cowering against the pyramid wall. "I'll do whatever you want! Just... just don't...!"

"Ahh, I love it when they beg," Bass cackled as he charged his Buster. "Sayonara, chumps!" With that, he fired.

Suddenly, the shot bounced high into the air and fizzled out. Bass looked upwards in surprise, then back down at what had blocked it. Both Hodges and Thomas had backed away, and a third person stood between them and Bass. He lowered his white shield and glared at the Wily bot through his sunglasses.

"HEY!!!" Bass huffed angrily. "Mind yer own business!"

"Obviously, you don't know much about Reploids yet," Proto Man said. "You can't just rebuild them."

Bass fumed. He had never liked Proto Man; the shady guy never stuck around to show that he had the muscle to back up his flightiness. "Why're you here?!" he asked. "This ain't any of your business!"

"You're here to fight the Maverick, right?" Proto Man asked, pointing at the entrance. "He's in there, searching for the temple's treasure."

Already forgetting about the two simple guards, Bass readied his gun and started for the entrance. "Right! Big game time!"

"Don't you want to know why he wants the treasure?" Proto Man asked, not looking at Bass. "It might be useful for your friends."

"Friends?" Bass laughed. "Who says I have any friends?!"

Proto Man scowled, but continued. "The Ecuadorian government is in charge of the world's most up-to-date research on human biology," he said. "Scientists from all over the world give their data to it for safekeeping. They store the data inside this old pyramid to hide it from crooks. There are plenty of traps."

"Yeah? So?" Bass retorted.

"The Maverick wants it," Proto Man concluded. "He wants it because Agile wants it."

Bass snorted. "Big deal," he said. "That's got nothin' to do with me. I'm gone."

As he turned to enter the temple, Proto Man chuckled. He turned on him angrily. "What's so funny?!" he demanded.

Proto Man adjusted his shades. "Are you sure you can handle it?" he asked. "Are you sure you won't get distracted by your body's new features?"

Bass looked at him with a raised eyebrow, then laughed loudly. "Gimme a break!" he said. "Ain't nothin' I can't handle!"

"I see..." Proto Man replied. "Well, then I'll leave it to you."

Bass grinned wickedly. "Just the way I like it," he said, then ran into the opening.

The two guard Reploids exchanged glances, then turned to Proto Man. "You're really going to let that nutcase go?" Thomas asked.

"He'll figure things out soon enough," Proto Man said. "In the meantime... you two'd best find another line of work."

With that, he vanished, leaving the guards alone beneath the dark pyramid.

* * *

The inside of the pyramid was darker than a night with a new moon. Bass grumbled to himself, suddenly wishing for a flashlight. Ah, well. It wouldn't matter, he thought. It was just a stupid building. How far would he really have to go before he met up with some action?

With only a few steps in, the light from outside vanished altogether, and he could not see a thing. He banged his shoulder against the ancient stone, and a slight twinge of pain ran through his body. He cursed angrily. That had never happened before; why was he getting hurt from stupid walls? For a second, he thought of Proto Man's warning about his new body, but shrugged it off. "That wannabe doesn't know the first thing about me," he growled to himself. "I'll show 'em all."

He looked around for another moment and decided that it was too boring in the temple. He raised his Buster to the ceiling and fired a barrage of purple blasts. They shattered the rock and lit up the path like a laser rave. He heard someone yell up ahead and grinned; now that he had their attention, the fun could begin.

Three bright lights rounded a corner. "Hey! Who's there?!" a voice demanded.

"Your worst nightmare, kiddos," Bass laughed. "Bring it on!"

Not knowing what else to do, three humanoid guards rushed at him. As they approached, Bass saw that all they had were coshes- sticks that police officers use- and groaned; what kind of challenge was that? These guys weren't even worth blasting.

He leaped over the first and came down on his back, then launched into the second in a devastating headbutt. Both guards went down like bowling pins, hitting the floor with simultaneous thuds. The third guard shrieked and tried to run, but Bass put him in a headlock; he gasped and struggled as his air started to dwindle. "N-no... please..." he wheezed.

"OK, here's the deal," Bass cackled. "Drop the light and tell me where yer boss is!"

The flashlight clattered to the floor. Gasping horribly, the guard pointed into the darkness. "Th... there..." he rasped. "Central... ch-chamber..."

"Smart fella," Bass chuckled, then hurled the guard against the wall, knocking him out. He grabbed the flashlight and charged down the tunnel, his Buster ready for the next worthy opponent. He rounded one corner and then another, gaining speed with each step.

Suddenly, there was a loud groan above him. He looked up and bounded forward just as a tremendous block crashed onto the floor. He hit the ground and rolled a few feet, then turned back and looked at it. It was a huge slab; if he had been a split-second slower, it would have flattened him.

"...Yeah, but it didn't, did it?" he chuckled at his own thought as he walked over to it and lifted his foot to kick it. "Ain't nothin' in the world that can hurt-"

His foot met the block. A moment later, he registered the throbbing pain in his toes. He leaped backwards, swearing and grabbing the appendage. "AGHHH!!!" he yelled. "What the hell?!" He had stubbed his toe plenty of times before, but never had it hurt like this. He was furious and confused at the same time; why did he hurt when he scraped his shoulder or banged his foot? It made no sense. He was an all-powerful machine! Machines didn't feel pain...

He hopped a moment more, then steadied himself. This was no time to be wondering about stuff like that; there was a fight to be won. He glanced down at his Buster and grinned. Victory would be short and sweet. That would show them all who was top dog.

His ears picked up the sound of approaching footsteps, and he turned to see another group of guards coming. He cackled and cracked his knuckles. "OK, fellas," he laughed, "who's next?!"

* * *

Back at the museum, the mood changed quickly. One moment, X, Sharon and Professor Smith were laughing and talking about the Winter Carnival with Dr. Thompson and her Reploids; the next moment, they were scrambling for the basement, the Maverick alarm blaring in their ears.

"Son of a...!" Sharon cursed as she started clunking down the steps. "When's my armor gonna be fixed?!"

Smith and X ran for the iMarc and stared up at the screen. Maverick symbols had appeared in three locations around the world. He noticed that there was one other mark on the map very close to one of the Maverick marks, but Smith had other things on his mind. "We'd better call the others back, and fast!" he said, turning around. "Sharon, you-"

Sharon was nowhere to be seen. "Sharon?" Smith asked again.

There was a loud clang and a barrage of swear words as Sharon tumbled down the stairs and rolled past the computer room, smashing face-first into the corner room door. With the words she spouted, an uninformed onlooker might think she had Tourette's Syndrome.

"Are you OK?!" X asked as Smith and he ran to help her up.

"Lousy, stupid, rotten..." she growled as she peeled herself off of the floor and looked up. "I want my old-"

She was staring right at the open, empty safe. Bass's Buster was gone. Smith noticed, too, and he did not look pleased. "...Oh, dear," he managed.

"That no-good son-of-a!!!" Sharon fumed.

"How did he get the safe open?!" X asked.

Smith paused for a second, then remembered that weird symbol on the monitor. He rushed back to the computer room and looked again. The mark was a small, purple dot. He frowned. That had to be Bass's symbol; who else on the team had any purple on them? A sick feeling washed over him. "Oh, no... Sharon!" he called. "He went off to fight one of them!"

Sharon clunked into the room, followed by X, Dr. Thompson, and the curious Reploids. "Whaddya mean 'oh, no,' prof?" she asked crossly. "It's not like he's unarmed or anything..."

Smith gave her a hard look. "He's a sitting duck with that gun," he said.

Sharon scratched her head. "What? I thought you said you upgraded the oldies' weapons when you made 'em Reploids..." she said.

"Not Bass's," Smith replied. "I took his away because he was so crazy! He doesn't realize how outgunned he is!" He started pushing buttons on the computer. "We have to get him back here! X, get to the teleporter room and set it to pick up Bass's comm signal. We'll have to yank him back, since I'm sure he won't stand still."

Sharon cursed under her breath, but joined him on the computer keys. X dashed off down the hall.

Thompson cleared her throat. "Erm... I guess we've come at a bad time?" she asked.

"It's not your fault," Sharon said over her shoulder. "This creep Agile has been giving us lots of grief lately. He's got a bunch of Mavericks doing something bad."

"Mavericks, again..." Buffalo sighed, looking at his broken hands. "I wish there was something I could do to help..."

Sharon turned to him and smiled sympathetically. "Actually," she said, "why don't you go and get everyone? They're all back at the carnival, and they don't have their communicators. We really need them for this. Zero, Darren, Roll and Iris; you know what they look like? "

She thought she saw a hint of a smile in Buffalo's eyes. "I'll do that," he said, turning and lumbering out of the room.

"Dr. Thompson, Slash Man and you go and get some restraining cords; we might need them," Smith directed. "They're in the closet down the hall."

The doctor and her newest Reploid disappeared, and Smith turned back to the screen. "Ugh... This I didn't need..." he grumbled.

Something on Sharon's side beeped. "Prof, I've got 'im!" she announced. "The signal's kinda weak... but I've got a locale!"

The screen's map zoomed in until it showed the top of the pyramid. In its center flashed the Maverick's symbol, and quickly approaching it was Bass's.

"We'd better call him, quickly," Smith growled as he grabbed a headset, "or... I don't even want to think about it!"

Sharon gritted her teeth and stared at the monitor. Stealing his gun, teleporting off into the jungle and picking a fight with a Maverick way stronger than him... How stupid could Bass be?

* * *

With an exhausted thud, the last guard collided with the wall. "Aww, is mistaw Bass playing too wough for 'oo?" Bass mocked as he kept moving. He was close to his battle; he could feel it. Soon he would wipe the floor with this Maverick, and everyone would see that he was still the mightiest warrior on Earth. He just had a few more paths to go down, and then-

A piercing feedback screech shot through his helmet. He shouted in surprise and stopped, swatting at it. "What the hell?!" he demanded out loud.

"This... fess... ith..." Professor Smith's voice started to echo in his head. "This is Professor Smith! Come in, Bass!"

Bass snarled. He did not know that they had given him a communicator, and now they had found him out; how annoying. "...Whaddya want?" he asked, grabbing at the piece of his helmet over his ear.

"Bass, listen to me," Smith warned, "you're trying to fight an enemy who's way stronger than you. Let us bring you back."

Bass laughed out loud. "Are you kidding me?" he jeered. "These guys have been a piece of cake so far! This ain't nothin' I can't handle."

"Listen, you braindead basket of burned-up bolts," another voice- Sharon- yelled, "you're gettin' your ass back here right now!!!"

Bass grinned to himself. "Oh, so you're there too, stick?" he asked. "Good! You guys can watch as I whup this guy's butt."

"No, stop, Bass!" Smith warned. "Mavericks are really strong, and you're not used to that Reploid body yet! Also, your Buster-"

Bass was suddenly annoyed at Smith's inferring that he was weak. "That's enough outta you guys," he snapped. "I'm goin', goin', gone!" With that, he took off down the tunnel.

Had Bass been back at the museum, he would have seen Smith switch off the communicator as Sharon hurled a block of obscenity at him. As it was, though, he only saw the entrance to the central chamber. He grinned wickedly; the time had come. He leaped into the room, his Buster out.

He stood in a high, wide, stone chamber, with torches lighting the center, but leaving the corners in shadow. Wide pillars adorned the chamber, all of them etched with reliefs of various Mayan gods. He looked up at the drawings and scowled. Why would someone drive pictures of things that did not even exist into a substance as tough as rock? Humans did the stupidest things; he would never understand them. Still, something about the statues' expressions gave him a hesitant feeling. Their huge feathered headdresses and their eerie, angry, cartoon-like eyes made the back of his neck get hot. He gnashed his teeth. Why did he feel like that? They were just a bunch of stupid pictures on stupid rocks. He stared a moment more, then turned violently; he had better things to do than wonder why he was nervous around them.

Though the room looked and felt ancient, he heard the high-pitched hum of a machine nearby. Off in the far corner stood a large computer, its screen rapidly flashing from one image of human biological stuff to the next. Several guards stood around it while a lone Reploid stood at it, his hands typing furiously at its keyboard. Bass could not really make out what the person looked like, but he did know it was someone much taller than he was. He grinned; that was just how he liked them.

"Hey! Tall, dark and ugly!" he yelled. "You the Maverick?"

The Reploids stiffened, and the big one turned and walked into the light, and Bass could make out his features. He was a tall, buff, hairy Reploid shaped like a humanoid lion. He had long, sharp claws on the ends of his arms. A large letter R- similar to the one that Iris's brother had, Bass recalled- was branded onto his chest. His mane was long and wild, and he was missing one of his eyes. He looked at Bass and his lips curled into a mocking grin, revealing his razor-sharp teeth. "I am Slash Beast," he growled, "and who are you, boy?"

Bass smirked. "Count yerself lucky, bud, 'cuz you're gonna get trashed by the one and only Bass!" he announced, pumping his free fist.

Slash Beast's grin did not fade. "So, you're the Maverick Hunter they sent, hmm?" he asked. He paused for a moment, then laughed loudly.

Bass's eye twitched; this was not the reaction he had expected. "What's so funny?!" he demanded, lifting his Buster. "I'll blow you to smithereens!"

"Um... Mister Beast!" one guard announced, raising his gun. The others did as well. Beast glared at them and raised his arm, signaling that he would deal with the nuisance on his own.

Beast looked back at Bass with another grin. "Is that so?" he replied. "Well, then let's see what you're made of!"

"Bass, wait!" a voice shot into Bass's ear; Smith had turned the communicator back on. "You don't stand a chance against that guy!"

"Shuddap, old man!" Bass yelled, then charged at Beast, socking him right in the chest. Beast, however, did not look like he had even felt it.

Bass hesitated for a minute. "What the..." he mumbled, then snarled and tried again. He punched the Maverick's arms, kicked at the backs of his knees and pummeled his torso, but nothing happened. Beast just stood there calmly, watching him. As he swatted at the Maverick, Bass began to sweat. All the guards had been pansies, but this guy was like a fortress. Why wasn't he getting hurt? Finally, he collapsed to the ground before the lion Reploid, exhausted.

Beast looked down at him and chuckled nastily. "Have we started yet?" he asked mockingly.

Infuriated, Bass rolled backwards and got to his feet. "Have we started...?! You walkin' hairball! I'm gonna show you!!!" he raved, lifting his Buster and firing round after round. His brilliant, purple blasts flew through the air... and bounced right off of Beast's chest. There was an awkward silence as Bass gawked at the Maverick, his eyes almost out of his skull.

Beast's grin got even wider. "You certainly are showing me," he cackled.

"I tried to tell you!" Smith's voice crackled in Bass's ear. "I didn't upgrade your Buster! It's not strong enough!"

Beast laughed again. "For such a little boy, you have moxie," he growled, "but you won't be stopping Agile's plans with that ancient thing."

Bass's teeth gnashed. He hated looking weak, and this big cat was making him angry. "Oh, yeah?!" he yelled. "I don't give a rat's ass about your stupid plans! Agile can sit on a rusty tack for all I care! I'm gonna bust you up if it's the last thing I do!!!"

Beast's expression changed from amused to angry, and he started towards Bass. "Now that you have insulted my master..." he growled, balling his fists, "It SHALL be the last thing you do!!!"

Before Bass could react, Slash Beast was on top of him, landing blow after blow of rapid, fierce punches. He put up his hands to block, but the salvo was too fast and too strong. He swung for Beast's face, but Beast caught his arms and rocketed his knee right into Bass's stomach. Bass went sliding across the floor on his back, stopping only when his head slammed into a pillar.

Bass groaned loudly. He had never hurt as badly as he hurt now. Every one of his muscles ached, and there was a crushing feeling in his chest. It hurt to breathe.

"You can't beat that guy!" Smith's voice echoed in his head. "Let us pull you out of there!"

He snarled angrily and forced himself to stand up. So he was a little rusty after a hundred years; big deal. He could get back on his game in no time. "No dice, beasty boy," he cackled as he cracked his knuckles, "It's really on now!"

"So be it," Slash Beast growled, opening his palms to loose his claws. "I enjoy the hunt much more when the prey is resilient!"

With a defiant yell, Bass leaped at the Maverick with an uppercut, but Beast moved at the last minute and kicked him in the chest, then swiped at him. The claw's swing just barely missing him, Bass hit the ground and rolled away as it smashed into the floor, leaving a deep gouge. He got to his feet and smirked, but then realized that something warm was on his forehead. He put two fingers up and touched it, and they felt wet. He looked at them and his jaw locked. A shiny, red liquid was smeared across the white glove; he was BLEEDING. He was not supposed to bleed; bleeding was for wussy humans. What the hell kind of new body had they given him?

Not knowing what else to do, he put the fingers in his mouth and sucked on them. He wanted to get that stuff out of his sight; it gave him an icky feeling he had never felt before, and he didn't like it. In his mind, he cursed Professor Smith; how dare he give him this new body that bled and ached! When he got back, that stupid man was in for it.

Slash Beast laughed cruelly. "You cannot stand the sight of your own blood?" he mocked. "Pathetic."

Bass clenched his fists. "Nobody makes me bleed blood I ain't supposed to bleed!" he yelled. "I'm gonna blow your ass to Mars and back!"

Ignoring Professor's Smith's warnings yet again, Bass charged at the ferocious Maverick. He had to answer the insults thrown at him. His rivalry with Mega Man could wait; one way or another, Slash Beast was going down.

* * *

"Bass! No! Stop!" Smith yelled into the headset, but was met with more sounds of body blows. He sighed and angrily kicked the base of the computer. "Why won't he listen?!"

"He's a puffed-up jackass, that's why," Sharon grumbled, shaking her head. Indecision weighed on her. That overbearing moron deserved every blow he got, but he was still one of her coworkers, and he had been through hell. Zero had told her that Bass had been locked in a dark room for over two hundred years by Dr. Wily for not being the kind of machine he had wanted... Thinking about it made her shudder, recalling the horrors that Dr. Sushi had put her through when she would not submit to him. She bit her lip; they were both victims of their creators. As much as she hated to admit it, she sympathized with his desire to prove himself; she had done exactly the same thing when she had escaped.

More sounds came into the room, mostly of whumps and smacks and triumphant laughter from Slash Beast. "He can't take much more of this," Smith groaned. "Oh, man..."

Sharon gave an irritated snort, then grabbed the headset from the professor. "Prof, bring up a visual for this, will ya?" she growled.

Smith was puzzled, but did as she said. The screen flashed and gave them a view from Bass's perspective, with the deadly Maverick coming in with one slash after another. He swung his left claw, then his right, then kicked, and finished with his right. He repeated this combo three times, with Bass getting hit by each part every time.

Sharon watched for a moment, then her eyes lit up; that was a technique she recognized! Slash Beast was using one of the martial arts that she herself had mastered! She knew exactly how to counter him. Now she just had to get Bass to listen to her. She grinned and cracked her knuckles.

"What are you going to do?" Smith asked.

"Coach," she replied.

* * *

One more claw to the side of his helmet, and Bass smashed to the ground with a yell. Certain that victory was in his grasp, Beast approached the fallen machine. "This is the fate of those who oppose us," he growled, almost as a warning to his men on the other side of the room.

Bass looked awful. His lip and nose bled profusely, and rows of claw marks were gouged into the purple slashes on his face. His fists clenched and unclenched, not knowing exactly what to do. His mind jumped between shock and panic. He couldn't lose; he was the greatest robot ever made!... but this guy was so strong, and his Buster was useless... How could he win?

Before he could think rationally, he staggered to his feet, raised his hand to the Maverick and flicked him off. "Up yours, pussycat," he snarled.

Beast's eye twitched furiously. With one swipe, Bass's offending arm flew from his body, spattering more blood across the floor. Bass shrieked in agony and stumbled backwards, completely flabbergasted. He had lost his robotic limbs a few times in his fights with Mega Man, but never had it hurt as much as this. For a brief moment, he almost wished that he would shut down just to be free of the pain.

"I was going to give you a painless end, boy," Beast growled, approaching him with his claws up, "but now I shall enjoy teaching you a lesson... limb by limb."

Bass backed up, his eyes wild; what could he possibly do?

"Yo, janitor!" Sharon's obnoxious voice crackled in his ear. "Listen up!"

"What do you want?" Bass growled.

"Lay off for a sec," Sharon retorted. "He's gonna come with his left, then his right. When he kicks, jump in and shoot his throat!"

"Ain't you been listening?!" Bass snapped. "My gun's a no-go!"

"Just trust me!" Sharon replied, then chuckled. "Of course, if you can beat this guy yourself, I'm waiting..."

Bass clenched his teeth. The pain from his missing arm was immense, and he didn't think he could last much longer... If he died here, he could never prove his superiority to Mega Man. Maybe it would be better this time to swallow his pride and take some advice.

With a roar, Beast came at him with his left claw. Bass shifted right, then lurched back left when the right claw came. Surprised at Bass's sudden evasion, Beast furiously swung his kick too wide. As Sharon had ordered, Bass lunged inside the kick, pressed his Buster to Beast's throat and pulled the trigger.

There was a sudden pop, and Beast's open maw dribbled blood. He staggered for a moment, then collapsed to the ground, dead. A uniform gasp came from his henchmen, who dropped everything and ran for the exit. Peace reclaimed the temple.

For a moment, Bass stared wide-eyed at the monster he had just toppled, not believing it himself. Then his ego kicked in and he laughed. "HAH! It's like I told you, kitty cat! Ain't nobody gonna stop Bass!" he declared, raising his Buster in victory...

...And then toppling backwards, out cold.

* * *

"He's coming to... Thank goodness!"

Bass groaned, opening his bleary eyes to the whitewashed world of the museum medical room. Professor Smith stood over him, looking relieved. Sharon stood nearby, now in her familiar red armor. He looked past her and saw some of the others standing outside the door, curious.

"Well, welcome back, Mr. Bass," Smith said, taking his glasses off and wiping them on his labcoat.

Bass tried to sit up, but found that he could not. He looked down and snarled; his arms were bound in a straightjacket, and his whole body was tied down with several restraining cords. "What the hell?!" he yelled. "Get these offa me!"

"Hey, that's no way to talk," Sharon snapped. "You stole a gun and ran off. You're lucky nobody slapped the Maverick label on you."

"Who asked you?!" Bass growled. "I was just showin' you pussies how it's do- AGH!!!" he stopped as pain shot through his arm... and then he realized that his arm was back where it belonged.

"Easy, now," Smith warned, "I reattached your arm, but right now it's only held by a few stitches and a lot of hope. You'll have to wear that for a few days to let it firm up."

Sharon folded her arms. "You did a pretty stupid thing, Bass," she grumbled, "but... you got rid of one of Agile's Mavericks... and we got the data they were after. It's safe here now... So... I guess you did a good thing, too."

Bass opened his mouth to complain, but suddenly realized that he did not really have anything to complain about. He closed it and stared at the ceiling smugly.

"Of course, don't think you're off the hook," Sharon added. "Just you wait until you get better!"

"Aww, shut up," Bass grumbled.

"Professor!" Iris chirped as she walked in, Zero at her side, "is he going to be OK?"

"He'll be as well as can be expected," Smith replied. "He just needs some rest... The rest of us need to deal with the other Mavericks. Come on."

Smith, Zero and Iris left the room. Sharon started to go, too, when Bass stopped her. "Hold up," he grunted.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Yeah?" she asked.

Bass chuckled. "Didn't know you knew so much about fighting," he said, then turned back to the ceiling.

Sharon paused, then smiled wryly; that was as much of a thanks that she was going to get, and she knew it. She paused, then fished a small chip out of her pocket. "This is the Twin Slasher, Slash Beast's weapon," she said, placing it on his bedside table. "Might come in handy sometime." With that, she turned and left.

There was a long silence as Bass stared at the ceiling. A lot had happened in the past few hours; he had broken into a safe, run off to South America, triggered numerous traps, and gotten the crap beaten out of him by a bloodthirsty Maverick... but he was still alive.

He chuckled again and smirked. "Yep," he mumbled, "I've still got it."


	11. Roll's Shocking Feat

**CHAPTER 11**

**ROLL'S SHOCKING FEAT**

A light stream of whiteness blew from Iris's puckered lips, and she chuckled. She had never had the time to just sit and take in the delights of winter: light snow fell like sugar sprinkles; her breath was a warm, white gust; and the warmth from Zero's thigh touching hers kept her from feeling at all chilly. It really was a beautiful season. She could forget all of her troubles wrapped in its quiet, peaceful blanket.

The carnival was wrapping up after the fireworks. Carnies packed up their things, and parents dragged their kids off to their cars to take them home. Less and less people passed by their bench until the park was practically empty. Zero looked around, then cleared his throat. "It's pretty late," he said. "We should go back to the museum. It's not safe to be out here..."

"Yeah, probably..." Iris murmured, only partly listening. "...What do you think of this place?"

Zero raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand what you mean," he replied.

"We never had snow back then," she said, staring dreamily up at a lamppost. "Isn't it pretty?"

Zero fidgeted. In his experience, snow was a blinding distraction, and ice was a hazard that could get him killed... but then he glanced at her, and her fluffy coat, and the light dusting of white in her hair, and he smiled faintly; it suddenly _was_ kind of pretty. "...Yes, it is," he answered.

She beamed. First she had been able to spend the whole afternoon with him, and now he was complimenting her... or rather, inferring a compliment. This was the closest that he had gotten to her since she had revived him. It gave her a warm feeling in her tummy, like a fuzzy, purring cat in her lap. Maybe things could get back to normal between them, after all. "Zero," she said quietly.

He looked at her, his cold, blue eyes softening a little. He had spent the whole afternoon with her, and it looked as though she was grateful; she was certainly cheered up. There was something in that soft smile she had that hinted at more than just cheer, though. His chest swelled; could it be that, even after all he had done, she might still want to be close to him? "...Yes?" he answered just as quietly, locking eyes with her.

She hesitated, stunned by his warm breath on her face. "Zero..." she began, "I..."

Just then, a dark shadow made them both looked up. A large buffalo Reploid stood over them, staring at them and blowing frost out of its nostrils.

Zero recognized him immediately, grabbed Iris and pulled her behind him as he leaped off the bench. "Blizzard Buffalo," he growled, putting up his fists. "So, has Agile recruited you, too?!"

"Wait," Buffalo said, his low voice almost surprised. "I'm not--"

"Save it," Zero huffed. "If it's a fight you want..."

Buffalo just stood there. Iris looked at him strangely; though he looked alert, he didn't look dangerous. "Zero, I don't think--" she began.

"Stay back," Zero warned her. "I'll handle him."

"But--" Iris tried again.

"I told you, get back!" he huffed, then leered at the Reploid. "Put up your fists, Buffalo!"

Buffalo raised his hands, and Zero hesitated. Those mammoth appendages were covered in tattered, greasy bandages; Buffalo couldn't possibly fight with them. What was going on?

A cry from behind the Reploid surprised him even more. "Waaaaaaaait!" Darren called as Roll and he rushed onto the scene. Darren hit a patch of ice and slipped, sliding on his face all the way to Zero's feet.

"Darren?!" Iris asked, kneeling over the downed human. "Are you OK?!"

Darren groaned as he forced himself up, but quickly stood between Zero and Buffalo. "Blizzard Buffalo's working for Dr. Thompson," he explained. "He's not a Maverick!"

Zero raised his eyebrow again. "Doctor who?" he asked.

Darren slapped himself in the face; he had forgotten that Zero had never met Dr. Thompson. "Iris, back me up, here!" he pleaded.

Iris, who did know Dr. Thompson, put her hand on Zero's arm. "She's a good person, Zero. If Darren says Buffalo's working for her, I'll believe that."

Zero hesitated a few moments more, then lowered his fists. "...I'm sorry," he apologized to the Reploid.

"Mr. Buffalo came to tell us to get back to the museum!" Roll piped up, clutching her cat toy. "He said there are Mavericks!... whatever that means."

Iris frowned, the good feelings of the day suddenly disappearing. "More Mavericks?" she asked. "OK, then, let's go!"

With that, she raced off for the museum, leaving Zero behind with the others. He sighed as he watched her go; maybe she really had outgrown him.

"Uh, Zero," Darren asked, giving him a puzzled look. "You're going, too, right?"

Zero shook himself out of his thoughts and ran for the museum as well, the others trailing behind him.

* * *

"Professor!" Iris exclaimed as she ran through the museum doors. "What's going on?!"

Professor Smith and Snake Man were at the front entrance, waiting for them. "Three Mavericks appeared in different parts of the world," Smith explained. "They're definitely Agile's."

"There's also good news and bad news," Snake Man added. "The bad news is that Bass broke open the safe and stole his Buster back... but the good news is that he got rid of one of the Mavericks, so there're only two now!"

"Wow..." Iris said quietly, the others entering the museum behind her, "Bass stopped a Maverick?"

"Yeah, but he's in really bad shape," Smith said. "I've got him in the infirmary downstairs. Go and get your armor, and you can see him before you go."

"If you ask me, the jerk deserved it," a familiar voice huffed. Iris turned and smiled. Sharon stood nearby, clad in her old, red armor. She grinned and gave Iris a thumbs-up.

"Hey, great!" Iris said. "Now you can help us out!"

"Right, she can," Smith said with impatience. "Iris, you're with X and Sharon. Zero, you're with Darren. Now, please, go and get your armor, all of you!"

Iris, Zero and Darren raced off to gather their supplies, and Blizzard Buffalo lumbered over to a bench and sat down, exhausted from the running. Roll looked around, suddenly alone. "Um... what can I do, Professor?" she asked.

Smith scratched his chin. "Well, X already set up the teleporter, so I really don't think we have anything for you to do," he said, smiling sympathetically. "Sorry."

Roll sighed and squeezed her toy again.

* * *

"Ugh, where did it go?!" Darren grumbled as he dug through the junk in the storage room. Zero had already changed into his armor, and Iris and he were paying Bass a visit... but he couldn't find his shield vest. "I just put it here this morning! How does everything get lost so fast?!" he ranted.

"Well, this IS a museum, too," Sharon remarked as she walked in. "You can't expect everything to be kept in one spot... Anyway, I've got something for you."

Darren looked up. "Oh, yeah?" he asked. "What's that?"

Sharon tossed him a small, shiny thing that looked like a portable music player; it had a monitor and a set of controls. He frowned. "I'm not going to be needing elevator music," he huffed.

"Hold up, will ya?" she pressed. "It's an iMarc Mini. The prof said he wants to figure out just what Agile wants with all of the stuff he's been sending his goons after. He's too busy monitorin' the Mavericks, so he wants you to do it."

Darren huffed, exasperated. "Well, how'm I going to do it?!" he demanded. "I'm going to be running around getting shot at!"

"It's automatic," Sharon repeated what Smith had told her. "Just give it all the data we already have, and it'll check it against all the sources it knows to find a conclusion on its own. I mean, it doesn't do all the work, but it helps narrow things down."

Darren scratched his head and stared at the gizmo; that did sound pretty handy. "...OK, that sounds good, but I'll need to test it first," he said. "I know! I'll run a check on that OPGFXXX chip of yours."

Sharon smiled. "Awesome thing to test with," she agreed. "OK, I've gotta go hook up with the others. Find yer stuff and move yer butt!" With that, she was gone.

Rummaging around in the clutter, Darren's hand finally touched the edge of the shield vest, and he triumphantly yanked it out. "AHA! There we go!" he announced. "Nothing can hide from me!"

Just then, Roll came to the door. "Hi, Darren," she said.

"Hey, Roll," he replied, throwing on the vest. "Come to see me off?"

"I guess," she said. "Why are you going, though? These Mavericks are tough even for Zero and Iris..."

"Yeah, I know," he replied, calibrating the gun, "but Zero might need me to fix a machine or something; these places are always full of them."

"Machines? Well, I'm good with them, too, so..." she trailed off, then beamed at him. "Can I come, too?"

Darren fell over without even tripping. "What?!" he asked. "No! No, you can't come!"

Roll looked surprised, then frowned. "Well, why not?!" she asked. "I'm learning a lot about machines!"

"Roll, this is dangerous business!" Darren replied. "Did you see Bass?! You could get really hurt!" He zipped up the vest and walked past her.

"Oh, come on!" she protested again. "It's no fun just waiting around here!"

"Well, tough," Darren replied.

She snorted and folded her arms, pouting.

He sighed. "Look, I know you're all for action," he said, "but you don't have anything to fight with... not to mention that you haven't gotten used to that Reploid body yet, and--"

"Yo, Darren!" Sharon's voice came from down the hall. "Some time this century!"

Darren sighed and turned away. "Look, it's too dangerous, OK?" he finished. "Don't ask me again!" With that, he ran down the hall towards where the others waited.

Roll watched him go and sighed crossly. "...But I want to help, too..." she murmured.

* * *

"What the hell?! What happened?!" Agile ranted, throwing his wine glass against the wall and startling a nearby technician. "Slash Beast got trashed by a peashooter?!"

"I must admit," Golgi sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair, "I didn't expect that deranged old robot could still put up a fight... but don't worry; I have another plan."

"Oh?" Agile asked, turning an evil eye on her. "Is this one going to blow up like the last one?! Your plans are worthless! I've got a mind to--"

"Sshhh," she whispered, putting her finger on the angry Maverick's lips. "Have a little faith. They're going to split up for the other two Mavericks, right? Well, that's when we'll strike. While they're away, we'll attack the museum and get back everything they took."

Agile thought for a moment, then grinned wickedly. "How sneaky! Except... they can come back in a wink with that teleporter. We have to put it out of commission!"

"Don't worry; I'll tell the Mavericks to destroy the teleporter first," Golgi answered, pulling out her communicator.

"Why bother?" Agile cackled. "Now I'VE got an idea! You, there!" he pointed to the nervous technician.

The Reploid turned around, sweating violently. "Y-yes, Mister Agile?" he stammered.

"Get some other tekkies together and hack the museum's systems!" Agile ordered. "Jam up their teleporter so they can't get back!"

Suddenly realizing that Agile was not going to kill him (yet), the Reploid happily saluted and raced off.

"Now the Mavericks can attack the museum, and all of their best Hunters will be miles away!" Agile laughed. "It'll be like taking candy from a baby!" He laughed wildly.

Golgi smiled, but in her mind she cursed. Agile was getting too smart for his own good.

* * *

"All right, here's the lowdown!" Smith announced as the Hunters convened at the teleporter. Roll stood nearby, still looking peeved. "There are Mavericks in two places: the main Canadian power plant in Toronto, and the Smithsonian Water Research Museum in Washington. Zero and Darren will go to the power plant, and you three go to the museum."

"Right," X replied, nodding to the professor. "Start up the teleporter!"

Smith activated the machine, and X stepped through it and vanished, and Sharon did the same. Iris was about to get into the teleporter when Zero put his hand on her shoulder. "Iris, did you want to say something to me earlier?" he asked.

Iris looked at him, then over at the professor, who was nervously eyeing the map. She shook her head. "It can wait," she answered. "Maybe when we get back." With that, she hopped in the machine and disappeared.

Zero sighed. "...Right," he said quietly.

"OK!" Smith announced, readjusting the machine. "Zero, it's ready for Darren and you."

Zero nodded silently, then stepped into the teleporter and vanished.

"All right!" Darren said, adjusting his cap. "Last in, first out!"

Roll grumbled to herself. Darren and she had just had an awesome time at the carnival, and now he was just rushing off into danger, and not letting her come, to boot. She was mad, but also worried. What if he came across a machine that needed two people to fix? What if he needed someone to hold a light for him, and Zero was busy? What if...

There was a whump, and she snapped out of her thoughts; Darren had tripped over his own feet again, and he was picking himself up off the floor. "I'm OK..." he mumbled, getting back on his feet.

Roll blinked. Something had bounced out of his pocket when he fell; it was the iMarc Mini that he had been given. She gulped; he needed that!

"OK, let's try this again," Darren said as he stepped into the teleporter.

"Darren, wait!" Roll yelled, grabbing the device and rushing for the teleporter. "You forgot your--"

"Roll, stop!" Smith shouted, but it was too late; Roll hopped into the device and vanished along with Darren. "Oh, great!" he groaned as he hit the computer's buttons. She had no combat capabilities; he had to get her back before she got hurt.

Suddenly, the controls sparked, and Smith leaped away as electric bolts arced across them, filling the room with smoke. "Agh!" he coughed as he reeled back into the hallway. "What the?!..."

"Professor!" Snake Man exclaimed as he ran in. "You've gotta come and look at the computer! We've been hacked!"

Smith followed him back to the computer room, where Dr. Thompson and her Reploids watched the screen nervously. "What's going on?" he demanded.

Thompson pointed at the screen. Smith whirled around to see that the monitor glowed an eerie purple, the Maverick symbol blazing brilliantly in its center.

"They've hacked the whole system," Snake Man reported as he tapped at the controls. "We can't get in at all!"

Smith growled. "Of course they'd do this now..." he grumbled.

"Why, yes," a familiar voice came from the computer's speakers, making his hairs stand straight up. "Without the Hunters, your 'base' is one big target. You're as bright as always, professor."

The Maverick symbol on the screen disappeared, replaced with Golgi's luscious upper half. She had a satisfied grin on her lips as she eyed the shocked group.

"Golgi!" Smith huffed.

"Hey, sweetie," she said as she blew a kiss, "did you miss me?"

Dr. Thompson stood up, looking downright furious. "You thievin'-ass bitch!!!" she yelled. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Ohh, well, hello, Emma," Golgi cooed. "I didn't know you were there, too... You never did have good taste in friends."

"You would know!" Thompson snapped. "Why, I oughta--"

The image changed to Agile's sinister grin, and he laughed. "ANYWAY, you guys have some things that belong to us!" he said. "We're going to come and get them, so why don't you get 'em all wrapped up or something? Thanks so much! Oh, and your Hunter friends won't be back any time soon... so don't bother hoping they'll come and save you!"

"Agile..." Smith growled. "Why are you doing all this? What do you want?!"

Agile laughed giddily, then cut the transmission, leaving them to stare at the glowing Maverick symbol.

* * *

With a whump and a crash, Darren landed face-first on a cold, cement floor. That teleport ride was definitely the bumpiest one he had ever undergone; maybe the device needed some fine-tuning.

He sat up and saw that he was sitting in a small, dark corridor, where a loud, electric hum filled his ears; at least he had made it inside the power plant. The only visible light came from a nearby door, which Zero stood before, fingering his Z-Saber.

Darren got up and crept over to him. "What's the word?" he asked quietly.

Zero silently pointed out the window; dozens of small, sparking, robotic jellyfish were floating around in the hall, looking this way and that, as if they were searching for something.

"Mavericks?" Darren guessed.

"They know we're here," Zero growled. "I don't know why..."

Suddenly, something poked Darren in the shoulder; he gave a surprised yelp and whipped around. Roll stood behind him, smiling cheerfully. "What're you guys looking at?" she asked.

Both Zero and Darren gained horrified looks; she wasn't supposed to be there! "Roll?! What--" Darren started, but Zero shushed him; the jellyfish might be able to hear them. "...Roll," he started again in a hoarse whisper, "what are you doing here?!"

Roll held up the iMarc Mini. "You dropped this," she answered, "so I thought I'd give it back... of course, you were already out the door, so..." She beamed.

"I told you you couldn't come!" Darren snapped, snatching the device away. "This is dangerous!" He pulled out his communicator and opened it. "I'm calling Professor Smith to send you back right now!"

"Awww, come on!" Roll protested hotly, balling her fists. "I just wanna help! You guys're always runnng off, and it's no fun just sitting at the museum..."

Zero frowned and turned on her. "We're not here for 'fun,'" he chided coldly. "These are matters of life and death. You have no place here."

"Says you!" she snapped. "I always had to watch Rock run off to fight, and I always wanted to help... and now that I have this new body, I'm gonna do just that!"

Zero looked at her crossly, but he could see where she was coming from; Iris had always complained that she couldn't help her brother when he rushed into danger, and now she was just as strong as he had been. However, Iris was more mature than Roll; she understood the dangers of combat. Roll wouldn't last on a mission. He shook his head. "No," he simply replied. "You'll go back to the museum."

Roll opened her mouth to protest, but the argument was interrupted by a groan from Darren. "Ohh... we've got a problem," he uttered, sounding panicked. "I can't reach them!"

"What?!" Zero hissed.

Darren held up his communicator; it emitted only static. "Fine time to break down..." he grumbled.

Zero glared at the static. The museum's communications breaking down just as they all left seemed far from coincidental.

Roll scratched her head, then giggled. "Well, that's that!" she announced. "I'm coming, too!"

"No way!" Darren protested. "I told you before..."

"What, are you gonna make me hide until you get back, hoping the bad guys don't find me?" Roll pointed out wryly.

Darren opened his mouth, but realized that she had him; if she stayed and was caught, the alarm would be raised. He sighed wearily. "...Fine..." he mumbled.

Roll beamed. "Thanks, Darren!" she laughed. "You won't regret it!"

Zero already did. It was bad enough that he had to keep an eye on the clumsy engineer, but now he had to babysit as well. "...Come on," he sighed, and started for the door.

Darren lifted his gun and turned to Roll. "Whatever you do, stay behind us," he told her.

She frowned at the remark, but since she had no way to defend herself, she could see the logic in it. She nodded and stood back.

Zero hesitated, eyeing the floating jellyfish just beyond the wooden barrier. They looked very weak, but there were a lot of them, and they might have some special power that he couldn't see. He pulled out his gleaming saber and waited.

One of the jellyfish drifted close. In an instant, he kicked down the door and slashed it into oblivion. Immediately the swarm flew at him. While he swung at the nearby ones, Darren leaped out and fired a Lightning Web into the approaching mass, snaring them into a squirming, sparking pile. As Zero worked on that heap, Darren netted another gaggle of jellies, and then a third. Finally, the Z-Saber pierced the final wad and the halls quieted.

Darren wiped his brow. "Boy, that was harsh..." he said.

Zero sheathed his blade and harrumphed. "Don't think that was all," he warned. "Let's keep quiet and figure out--"

"YEAH! Awesome!" Roll's ecstatic voice made them jump as she stepped out of the doorway, clapping happily. "You guys totally clobbered 'em! What's next?"

Zero growled. This girl could be even more of a liability than he had thought.

Darren was slightly more forgiving. "Look, Roll," he said, "if you come with us, you have to keep it down. We don't want them knowing where we are."

Roll smiled and nodded, glad to be accepted at last. "OK!" she exclaimed. "You won't even know I'm here!"

Zero snorted and started down the hall, not looking back.

"Hey, Zero, wait up!" Darren called, rushing after him. Roll, not wanting to miss anything, gave chase as well.

* * *

Zero's suspicion that their presence was known gained more ground at the first corner; another slew of jellyfish robots appeared just as they came to it. There had to be twice as many now as there were at the first encounter, and they were just as eager to take down the Hunters.

"Woah!" Darren gasped as he bagged up six with a Lightning Web. "They're gettin' frisky!"

Zero sliced away, but his thoughts never reached his mouth. What had happened to the humans running this plant? More importantly, how did the Mavericks know where they were?

Roll, contrary to her pledge, was right in the thick of the fighting. "Yeah! Get 'em, Zero!" she cheered, pumping her fists. "Get 'em!"

A particularly angry jellyfish appeared behind her and dove for her head. "Roll!!!" Darren yelled.

She spun around, but only saw Zero's back as he leaped over her and split the robot in half. He growled in her direction, then bounded back. Suddenly remembering her vow, she jumped back and let the boys finish off the remaining enemies.

"Oh..." Darren panted, looking at his gun. "I don't know how much energy I have left in here..."

Zero shook his head. "I don't like this," he said, then kept walking. Darren silently followed him. Roll hesitated, then went along, frowning. What was Zero's problem? She was just trying to give some sideline encouragement; he didn't have to growl at her like an angry dog.

They turned the corner and Darren pointed. "Hey, look!" he said. Next to a door on the wall was a small computer terminal, probably for the plant's employees to check in for work and send messages to other parts of the building.

Zero looked at him. "What about it?" he asked.

Darren pulled out the iMarc Mini. "I can hook this into that and poke around in the computer system. Maybe then, we can guess at what they're after here!"

Zero thought about it, then nodded. For a clumsy human, he had some good ideas.

Darren walked over and held the device before the terminal, hitting several buttons quickly. He was not absolutely certain of how it worked, but he could guess. Within a minute, he was waiting for a connection into the plant's systems.

Roll scampered up next to him. "Can I help?" she asked.

"I think I've got it," he replied.

The computer beeped and an image of several lines and squares appeared on the monitor, a green dot blinking in the far left corner. Darren looked it over and beamed. "Bingo!" he exclaimed. "We've got a map!"

Zero leaned in and scowled at it. "So, what could be here?..." he asked.

Darren scratched his head. "Well, this is a power plant..." he reasoned, "so I bet it has something to do with that." He studied the map for a moment more, then his eyes lit up. On the first floor, flanked by two storage chambers, was a large square room marked REACTOR. "There!" he exclaimed, pointing. "Maybe they're after something there!"

Zero nodded. This was Canada's main power plant, so its reactor was certainly powerful. It seemed like the best place to go.

While Darren plotted a course to take, Roll peered over their shoulders and something else on the map caught her attention. Not far from the blinking green dot was a small room marked TELEPORTER. Hadn't Zero said that they couldn't warp back to the museum if they couldn't communicate? Maybe they could use what was in that room instead! That was how she could be helpful; she would find that room so they could get out after the mission was done.

"OK, I've downloaded the map," Darren said, shutting off the terminal. "Let's get moving."

"Keep an eye out," Zero growled, drawing his Z-Saber again.

They started through the halls again, weapons at the ready. Several more jellyfish came at them, but Darren's gun and Zero's sword made quick work of them. Trying to avoid another of Zero's angry growls, Roll stayed a distance behind them. She wasn't just doing nothing, though; she was looking over each door they went by, trying to find the one that had the teleporter.

The robots destroyed, they kept running. "We're coming to some stairs soon," Darren advised them.

Roll looked around frantically. The teleporter room was on this floor; she just had to find it before they went downstairs. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. Right across from a wide, long staircase was a sliding door marked TELEPORTER. At last! "Darren! Zero!" she called, racing over and pushing it open. "Look what we can--"

Her words were cut short by a furious snarl. She looked in the doorway and found herself face to face with a tall, wide, green and yellow robot with long, sharp claws, a single eye, jagged fangs and what looked like a spikey goatee on its chin. It raised its claw and swung.

With a scream, she fell backwards, the nails just grazing her cheek. In horror, she realized that it actually stung; it hurt! She was so shocked, she couldn't move.

The monster's eye lit up a bloody red as a gun popped out of its mouth, aimed right for her. She winced and braced herself.

There was a clatter and a zap, and she opened one eye. The robot's head lay at her feet, fluids dripping from its severed neck. Zero stood over her, and Darren had his smoking gun pointed at the body's side. Neither of them looked happy.

"Roll!" Darren snapped. "What were you thinking, just opening doors?!"

She blushed and fumbled with her words. "I... I just..." was all she managed.

Zero glared deep into her eyes. "Listen well," he whispered coldly. "You don't SAY anything, TOUCH anything or DO anything unless I tell you to. Got it?!"

She bit her lip and looked at the floor. "...Yessir," she mumbled.

He sheathed his saber and looked away. "Now let's go," he said, walking off.

As she got to her feet, Darren gave her another cross look. "Look at that!" he said, motioning to the scratches on her cheek; she touched the stinging wounds and shuddered. "I told you to be careful!" he scolded.

She hung her head, feeling tears starting to well up in her eyes. "Why are you guys so angry..." she mumbled.

He looked at her, then sighed, his frown receding. "We're not angry..." he said quietly. "We don't want you getting hurt, that's all... You have to take it easy in this new body of yours... Now come on. The sooner we're out of here, the better."

With that, they followed Zero's path down the stairs. Roll, however, was still upset. Both Darren and Zero were treating her like unwanted but delicate luggage, and whenever she tried to help, it just got them angrier. How could she make them see that she could be useful?

* * *

Several flights of steps and two more jellyfish confrontations later, the party arrived at two imposing, heavy doors. They had the familiar yellow-and-black stripe patterns across their bottoms, and a sign on the left-hand one announced "DANGER!" in big red letters.

"That's a power plant door if I've ever seen one," Darren chuckled.

Zero grabbed the side of the door and pulled it open, and they walked inside. The green-glowing core of the plant stood at the end of a long hall, in a wide, tall chamber all its own, humming warmly. Roll thought it almost looked pretty. Still, aside from the lights being on, the room was empty.

All of them were a little taken aback. "Nothing?" Darren asked. "That's weird... I was sure they'd be here..."

Zero frowned and shook his head. "Let's go," he said, turning around.

Roll was about to move too when she heard something. There was one other door in the room besides the one they had come from, and it had just clicked. Someone was coming in. "Guys--" she started.

Before she could say anything else, the door flew open and several humanoid Reploids came out bearing guns. Right away they surrounded the Maverick Hunters and raised their weapons.

"Well, you wanted something..." Zero growled at Darren. He laughed sheepishly.

Roll looked at the Reploids. None of them really looked like soldiers. They looked out of shape and nervous with the guns, like they were cubicle-bound office employees or something.

Just then, a wacky laugh came from the door. "Well, well, well!" a high, wavy voice giggled. "What have we got here?!"

A truly bizarre Reploid ambled out and stood behind the soldiers. It floated about a foot off of the ground and had two wiry legs and two wiry arms dangling from its space-saucer body. Its purple face was smooshed onto the top of its chest without a neck. "Well!" it laughed, flapping its left appendage around in a weird wave, "fancy seeing you here, Zero!"

Zero bared his teeth at the creature. "Gigavolt Man-O-War..." he snarled.

"Gigavolt..." Darren said, then his eyes widened. "Woah! Is he one of those 'New-Generation Reploids?!'"

Gigavolt spun around and laughed giddily. "Ha-ha! Right you are, kid!... though we're not exactly 'new' any more, are we? Hee hee hee hee!"

Roll was confused. Was this guy bad or what? She really couldn't tell... and what was all that about "New Generation" Reploids?

"Anyway," Man-O-War said, calming down and glowering at them, "you guys hafta get new watches! You're too late to stop boss Agile's plans..." he paused and cracked his nonexistant knuckles, "but you're just in time for a thrashing!"

"What are you after here, anyway?" Darren asked. "You didn't come to steal the core?"

"HAH!" Gigavolt laughed again. "You think I'm gonna tell you?! No way!"

Just then, one last Reploid came out of the door, carrying a large, blue container on his back. "Sir..." he groaned (it must have been very heavy), "where am I taking this thing?"

Gigavolt's smile died and he banged his head into the wall. "D'oh!" he yelped.

Darren recognized what the container was; it was a portable power pack, used for storing energy to power things, like a generator. "Oh, is that it?" he asked.

"Thanks a lot, stupid!" Gigavolt yelled at the Reploid. "Now the WHOLE WORLD knows!" He turned and fumed at the Hunters. "Well, I guess I can't let you live now!" he chortled. "Guards, get rid of 'em!"

The gunmen raised their weapons, but Zero was too fast for them; in ten seconds, half of the guns were sliced in half. Darren fired Lightning Web blasts and pinned the other soldiers to the walls.

Gigavolt banged his head against the wall again. "Shoot! Nuts! Angry words!" he yelled. "I shoulda known you guys were no good!"

"We'll be taking it back now," Zero said, raising his saber. "Drop it or else."

Man-O-War turned on him, grinning wickedly. "When are stupid Hunters gonna learn we always pick 'or else?!'" he snickered. "Come on, grandpa!"

"Roll, run!" Darren hissed at Roll as he raised his gun.

Roll started to object, but a look from Darren stopped her cold. She ran around the other side of the core to find a safe spot... only to run into the Reploid carrying the pack. "Agh!!!" he yelled, jumping at her presence. "You stay away from me!"

She frowned and balled her fists. If that thing was what the Mavericks wanted, she wouldn't let them get it. With a cry, she tackled him.

"Eeegh!" he cried, struggling to move. "Boss, help me!" he yelled. "She's nuts!"

"Eh?!" Gigavolt asked, whirling around. He raised one hand and a bolt of lightning flew into Roll, knocking her into the wall. "You! Go back to base right now!" he snapped.

The Reploid with the pack vanished, and Roll groaned loudly. Once again, she had blown it... and now she was hurt.

"Roll!" Darren yelled, angrily aiming at Gigavolt.

"That does it!" Zero snarled, rushing in with his Z-Saber and swinging.

As slippery as the creatures he was based on, Gigavolt slid away from Zero's slice and then bounced over Darren's shot. "You think I haven't learned since last time?!" he giggled wildly, raising his spindly arms. "Well, see how you like THIS!!!"

His arms stretched like taffy and grabbed Zero and Darren by the chests, and they shuddered like rag dolls as electricity pumped into them. He then swung his whole body and slammed them against the walls, then against each other. "Ha ha ha ha!" he laughed. "My very own action figures!"

Roll coughed as she managed to get to her feet. The shock had stunned her, but it was wearing off. She winced as Zero and Darren crashed into each other again, but she had another feeling besides pain... A hot, burning swelling in her chest. The boys were helpless as long as they were in that monster's grip; she had to distract him somehow! She had to save them! But how?

The door Gigavolt had come through was still open. She raced inside to find a storage room. Maybe there was something in here she could use! Darren and Zero's yells in her ears, she looked around. There were glass jars, old batteries, a broom, and several metal rods in the corner... Metal rods? That was it! She grabbed one and raced back outside.

"Round and round and round we go!" Gigavolt Man-O-War laughed as he swung the boys around in the air. "Where you stop... only I know! Hee hee hee hee!!!"

Suddenly, something hard beaned him in the head, making it lose its shape for a few moments. He whirled around to see Roll with a metal rod in her hands. "Leave them alone!" she yelled.

"Roll!... Run..." Darren gasped.

"Leave them alone?! Leave them alone?!" Gigavolt snarled, his crazy eyes narrowing at her. "Who d'you think you're talking to, missy?!" He dropped Zero and Darren and turned his full attention on her.

Sparks shot through Zero's armor; he couldn't move. Darren was in the same state. Roll swallowed hard; she was on her own. Still, she glared at the jellyfish and bit her lip. She was the only one who COULD do anything, so she WOULD do something. With another cry, she swung the rod.

Gigavolt slid away and came back. "What are you, anyway? A maid?!" he snapped. "It's gonna take more than a pole to shut ME down!"

"I'm no maid!" she declared angrily. "My name is Roll, and I won't let you hurt my friends anymore!"

Gigavolt just laughed. "You think I care what your name is?!" he asked. "You're just another lightning rod!"

She swung the rod and hit him in the side, but his body just reshaped itself. Laughing, he grabbed the pole with one hand and her with the other. He snapped the pole in half and zapped her, sending her flying against the back wall.

"D... Damn..." Darren managed, trying to get up but unable to. "R... Roll!..."

Roll's eyes flickered open, electricity still jumping through her joints. She tried to move her legs, but they wouldn't respond. Her eyes fell on the rod, which was now broken and jagged at its edge... jagged and sharp. She stared at it for a long moment.

"I don't usually hurt little girls," Man-O-War snickered, "but you've just pissed me off! Bye bye!" He raced at her and lifted his arms.

Roll glared at him and held out the rod. Gigavolt couldn't stop in time and crashed right into it, the jagged metal shooting out of his back. Whatever goo was inside of him spilled out all over the place.

He, of course, was shocked. "Woah..." he gurgled as he fell backwards, his spindly body unable to support him, "didn't see... THAT comin'..." He coughed and sputtered, then grew silent.

As soon as he was gone, all the electricity in the Hunters seemed to evaporate. All of his soldiers dropped their weapons, freed themselves and ran away screaming. Darren and Zero got to their feet and ran over to Roll. "Are you OK?!" Darren asked.

Roll winced as he helped her to her feet. "Ugh... I... I'll be OK..." she managed, then almost fell down.

Darren caught her and held her up. "Easy!" he said. "You're not used to this, are you?"

She coughed again, then looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry, Darren... Zero," she apologized. "I couldn't stop them... They stole it..."

"Yeah..." Darren admitted, then smiled at her. "But look what you DID do. You saved us!"

Zero folded his arms and nodded. Maybe Roll wouldn't be as much of a burden as he had thought.

Feeling a little better now, she moved away from Darren and stood on her own feet. "There... I think I'm OK now!" she announced.

"Good!" Darren said, but then his smile faded. "I wonder, though... What about the museum?"

Zero frowned. Not being able to contact their friends was a bad sign. "We should find another way back."

Roll's eyes lit up. "I know just the thing!" she announced.

* * *

"You see?" Roll said, leading Zero and Darren into the room she had opened. "I saw there was a teleporter in here!"

Darren and Zero looked, then frowned. What was left of the teleporter was a shattered mess. "Those Mavericks..." Zero growled.

Roll blinked a few times, then smiled. "Don't worry!" she said. "Darren and I can fix it!"

Darren beamed. "Yeah! We can, can't we?" he agreed. "Let's get right to work!"

Just then, though, his iMarc Mini beeped. He pulled it out and smiled even more; the analysis of Sharon's OPGFXXX chip was finished. "...Right after I call Sharon!" he said, whipping out his communcator.

"I'll get working on it," Roll said, walking over to the mess. "Zero, could you help me clean this up?"

Darren bit his lip as he tuned the communicator to Sharon's frequency. If they couldn't reach the museum, he just hoped he could reach the others. Maybe they knew what was going on... or were just as in the dark as they were.


End file.
